Maree Todd MSP Minister for Childcare and Early Years.

Local MSP Maree Todd, SNP, has described Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Budget changes to the roll out of Universal Credit as  not going  “nearly far enough to fix the problems”.

Maree Todd said:

“Fiddling around the ends does not fix the systemic failures of Universal Credit.”

Philip Hammond announced that a £1.5 billion package will be allocated to deal with the issues and delays caused by the controversial roll-out of Universal Credit benefit.

The seven-day waiting period for Universal Credit payments has been removed, and the standard wait for universal credit claimants to get their first payment will be cut from six to five weeks from February, it has been revealed today. Advance repayments will also be made over twelve months instead of six months.

Most of the claimants for Universal Credit are people in work but with such low incomes that they have to apply  in order to get by on a daily basis.

Maree Todd Said:

“The Chancellor also failed to mention the removal of implicit consent for Universal Credit claimants. Terminally ill patients still have to self-declare that they are terminally ill. Some people would rather not face up to the fact they are dying, and it is absolutely their human right not to if that’s what they want. This system is brutal because it makes them face up to that – they have no choice, no- one else can declare for them.

“This cruel and shambolic policy is not working; it does not make work pay and it punishes the poor.

And she added:

 “I will continue to campaign for Universal Credit to be halted and the problems fixed.”