We interview Tina, who previously went debt free with CAP, as she now faces the impact of Universal Credit payment delays.
For many people migrating to Universal Credit or applying for the first time, the wait for a first payment can be devastating. Even though Tina became debt free after working with Christians Against Poverty, she now finds herself back in crisis.
Tina is migrating from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit and, like so many others, is facing a wait until her first payment comes through. With no income for weeks, Tina has been forced to survive on almost nothing. She refused the Universal Credit advance – a loan offered by the DWP to cover the wait, but one that must be repaid through deductions to future payments – because she knows too well the trap of debt and couldn’t face owing money again.
Now, with just £3.75 to her name and her mental health suffering, she’s left asking how anyone is supposed to cope in this current system. What follows are Tina’s own words about the reality of the Universal Credit wait and how inaccessible the system can be for people already struggling financially.
What has the last two weeks been like for you waiting for Universal Credit?
It’s horrible, I am scared. I had to phone housing and say, ‘Sorry, I can’t afford bedroom tax.’ That’s what’s keeping a roof over my head. I’ve done this with every company and said, ‘Look, if I don’t pay you it’s not that I refuse to pay you, there’s just no money. What I’ll do is when the money comes in, I will sort it out. I won’t pay the lot off in one go. I’ll make a payment plan up with you.’
I’ve got 75p in my bank account, £1 in my savings account and £2 cash.
Before the debt gets too high, I want to pay the bills off that are coming in. I want to get fresh food in. I want to put some money on my gas and electric. But I can’t. For me, it brings me flashbacks when I was up to my eyeballs in debt before, thinking, “Have I got enough pennies to get a pint of milk and have a tea or coffee?” I sit here on an evening and think, “No, I won’t put the lights on.” Even my phone isn’t going to last much longer, but I haven’t got the money to even order a new cable. I’ve got £13 to put on my electric. How long is that going to last me?
The anxiety is getting higher because I know as soon as that PIP goes in, it’ll be gone. I’m now in £240 of debt already. My life is in the DWP’s hands.
How has this wait impacted your mental health?
I get very emotional. I’m relying on my local community café for their help. I go and get meals and while I’m there, I’m safe. I can’t even afford to get my hair cut, and that’s giving me pain in my head because of my fibromyalgia.
I get anxious when I get phone calls from numbers I don’t know. But Universal Credit phone you on an anonymous number, and if you don’t answer, you’re sanctioned.
That’s what you’re dealing with, day in, day out. I tried ringing them back – after three hours on hold, I had to put the phone down.
What are the long-term implications of this process?
Even at the end of September, this isn’t going to be sorted out. It’s going to be like this for the rest of my life, struggling on benefits. There’s nothing I can do with the system, unless I get a job that will cover me, but then how could anyone take me on as an employee with my health problems? It’s very hard to explain to them, because they can’t see that I’ve got a bad heart. It’s invisible. You can see that I walk with crutches, but that’s the only part you can see.
I’ve done so well from when I first got help from CAP. I knew what money I had coming in. I promised myself I would never be in debt again, but here I am.
What would you say to the UK Government about the Universal Credit wait?
Don’t offer someone an advance. What’s the easiest thing to get into but the hardest thing to get out of? Debt.
I want that wait to be reduced. Even if they did it by giving out vouchers for gas, electric and food so it can’t be spent on anything else. Surely that’s an option, isn’t it?
Improve the communication and make it more accessible. I’ve had to get my daughter to bring her laptop for me because I can’t log in on my phone. But not everyone’s got that.
If you’re going to bring something in, make sure you live through it first to see if the system works. I’d love to get their heads together and say, ‘You’re going to go through what we go through for weeks, and once you’ve done it, see how you manage’.
Everyone I’ve spoken to doesn’t believe the system is working, but I’m lucky I haven’t got any kids to feed. Please try and get it sorted as quickly as possible.
