Protestors campaign outside MP's office over Universal Credit
Following concerns that applicants are waiting six weeks to receive payments and some are facing eviction due to rent arrears, protestors gathered outside Penny Mordaunt, Portsmouth North MP’s office in Lakeside, North Harbour to rally against the new system today.
Alan Burgess of Portsmouth’s Unite the Community union branch said the former work and pensions minister should convince the government to postpone a further roll-out of the new system.
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Hide AdMr Burgess, who organised the protest said: ‘We are protesting about the implementation and roll-out of Universal Credit in its current form.
‘In its current form there is a six-week delay for payment and this is putting people in duress.
‘Landlords are no longer wanting to rent to poor people due to the delays. We want to see the system postponed and re-looked at to stop more people being hit by delays in payments.’
Mr Burgess was joined at the protest by representatives from the Portsmouth Unison Branch, Portsmouth Trades Council and the Portsmouth branch of the Green Party among several other protestors.
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Hide AdAround a thousand people are currently receiving Universal Credit in Portsmouth and the new system is due to be rolled out to the rest of the city next summer.
Ms Mordaunt previously told The News: ‘Under universal credit, we have been learning and improving it and have reduced the time it takes for people to get the money.’