I have been campaigning to stop Universal Credit for some time and am delighted Labour have committed to replacing this failing system. Universal Credit has pushed local people into debt, despair and destitution – even making some people homeless sadly. Cameron and Clegg’s changes to welfare, brought in by the Coalition, have had a devastating impact on many people in Southwark, from the Bedroom Tax forcing people out of their homes to Universal Credit forcing hundreds of people into foodbanks. I have seen this in my weekly advice surgeries for local people – and I have set up a foodbank in my office on Jamaica Road to help people affected by the cuts.

For our next election manifesto Labour is promising many of the changes that I have been calling for along with campaigners, charities and the Work and Pensions Select Committee where I have been scrutinising many of the problems. Ending the five week delay for the first payment, scrapping the two-child limit, and scrapping the benefit cap would all help local people badly affected by the current system.

Read more about the announcement here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49855479
See my question in the Commons on universal credit in July here: https://neilcoyle.laboursites.org/…/universal-credit-urgen…/