The commons work and pensions committee would like to hear from individual claimants as well as organisations as part of its enquiry into severe deprivation.
The committee chair, Frank Field, said that:
“The welfare safety net ought to be catching people before they are plunged into debt, hardship and hunger. Instead it appears to be unravelling before our very eyes. The Committee now wants to find out whether the Government’s policies are sufficient to save people from destitution—and, if not, what more needs to be done."
The committee has listed a series of questions, any or all of which they would like respondents to answer.
Individual claimants might be best placed to answer, from personal experience, questions such as:
Why do some households fall into poverty and deprivation?
Do Jobcentre Plus procedures and benefit delays play a role?
What role does Universal Credit play in in relation to deprivation, or could it play in tackling it?
Is our welfare safety net working to prevent people falling into deprivation?
Closing date for responses is 14 December 2018.
