Universal credit support for Scottish parents
- 09 Mar
A lone parent charity One Parent Families Scotland has created a free factsheet explaining the changes to the welfare system and the introduction of universal credit.
This factsheet is the first of seven being created to support people in Scotland with the changes to their benefits, reports Deadline News.
Universal credit should be rolled out to single people with children by April 2016, however if a single claimant subsequently becomes a single parent, they will remain on universal credit.
On the factsheet people will be able to see how universal credit is calculated, the different elements of the benefit, along with a list of roll-out dates by local authorities across Scotland. It also includes two case studies of single parents with a detailed analysis of what they would be entitled to.
Sue Rew, Information Manager at One Parent Families Scotland, said: "From the calls to our Lone Parent Helpline and queries from those who use our services we know that the introduction of universal credit is causing single parents significant worry. OPFS has concerns that claimants are expected to apply online when many do not have access to a PC or the internet, that the money is paid monthly in arrears, and in particular that all the elements, including housing costs, are paid in one lump sum. An error or a delay in payments would have potentially catastrophic consequences. We hope that our newly updated range of factsheets will help the one in four families headed by a single parent navigate their way through these radical changes to the welfare system."
You can access the factsheet here.
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