Following the announcement of today’s Budget our Interim Chief Executive, Mark Ward, responds.
“We welcome the Chancellor’s announcement today of a package to address concerns around the operational delivery of Universal Credit. Cutting the waiting time by seven days, modifying the advance payment system, and ensuring that people will continue receiving housing benefit for two weeks after moving onto the new system, will ease the pressure on thousands of households on very low incomes who would otherwise have been thrown into crisis applying for Universal Credit.
“This decision shows that Government is listening to and acting on the evidence from foodbanks that have been tirelessly supporting people waiting too long for their payments, whilst also building the case for why that wait pushes people further into poverty and hunger.
“Foodbanks tell us there’s more to be done – poor administration within Universal Credit is pushing people into crisis and more widely, the benefits freeze is further squeezing stretched incomes. However this is a positive step in the right direction and we look forward to more detail from the Secretary of State tomorrow.”
