Dan Peters 15 November 2018

Universal Credit bad for people's health - academics

Universal Credit (UC) is bad for health and wellbeing, academics have found in a new study commissioned by Gateshead MBC.

The research found that people claiming UC were being forced into debt, rent arrears and extreme hardship, with serious consequences for their health and wellbeing.

It revealed a complicated, dysfunctional and punitive system, prone to administrative errors, and found no evidence that moving onto UC was helping people into employment.

Director of public health at Gateshead, Alice Wiseman, said the welfare reform was having a ‘shocking impact’ on the lives of claimants, adding: ‘UC is a significant concern for public health.’

Deputy council leader, Catherine Donovan, said: ‘With Christmas coming, the impact on communities and families will be extremely hard. I’m calling on Government to scrap UC as a matter of urgency.’

#Universal credit #Public health #Whitehall #Welfare reform

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This issue of Public Property examines how public sector organisations can unlock the hidden value in their land, and why a new approach to construction could help boost the outcomes of the Government’s One Public Estate programme.

The December issue also considers why learnings from ancient cities could provide the key to promoting wellbeing in the modern built environment. It also contains a case study on how the London Borough of Westminster has provided high quality care for the elderly alongside a block of luxury apartments.