Universal Credit Action Network

About this event UPDATED TIMETABLE!!! Link to the event here The impact of the pandemic exposed huge disparities in access to decent housing. The removal of support measures for those impacted by the pandemic, the spike in living costs, including food and fuel, along with the threat of rent and service charge hikes across both social and private sector housing, all mean the housing crisis is continuing to damage health, livelihoods, families and communities. Women, black and ethnic minorities are still bearing the brunt of discrimination. But if we work together we can fight this. New housing groups continue to emerge and win their struggles, such as the Action for Fire Safety Justice Campaign that pressured property developers to take responsibility for cladding costs. We need to challenge the power of developers and the government who continue to prioritise profit over people and the environment. The aim of the summit is to build strong networked national housing campaigns for the co

Due to fear of being penalised by their employer,  a former debt adviser secretly explains working under Money Advice Pension Service (MaPS) contract. ' MaPS very nearly broke me, and I had to leave debt advice altogether in order to have a quality of life. ' 'The MaPS contract, and in particular its nonsensically onerous DAPA requirements, ended over 20 years of dedicated service with an organisation I had expected to retire working for. The MaPS contract nearly destroyed my physical and emotional health, and that of other long-term, incredibly hardworking debt advisers, who were also left with no option but to change their career direction after 10-20 years and leave to work for other charities or housing associations. The MaPS contract turned both debt advisers and clients into faceless commodities; it was all about the numbers without consideration for the impact its unrealistic and unachievable DAPA requirements have on both debt advice staff and, as a result, clients.

The price of fuel is going up, inflation is also going up, already 9 fuel suppliers have gone bust and £20 cut on universal credit which Rishi Sunak addressed by changing taper rate from 63p to 55p for working claimants. In coming months many vulnerable communities may face hardship.  Positive Money Hackney and Positive Money Tower Hamlets called for a Facebook live and in person public meeting on 10 Nov 2021 to raise awareness of fuel poverty. Ripon Ray, founder of UCAN gave members of the public of insight into the fuel industry and your rights against suppliers when they go bust.

The price of fuel is going up, inflation is also going up, already 9 fuel suppliers have gone bust and £20 cut on universal credit which Rishi Sunak addressed by changing taper rate from 63p to 55p for working claimants. In coming months many vulnerable communities may face hardship.  Positive Money Hackney and Positive Money Tower Hamlets call for a Facebook live and in person public meeting to raise awareness of fuel poverty. Join us to understand about the fuel industry and your rights against suppliers.

Public Law Project calls for insight into benefit sanctions. Do you have experience of benefit sanctions? The   Public Law Project   is researching the barriers that claimants face when challenging benefit sanctions.  As part of this we are keen to speak to:   ·            Benefit claimants   who have been sanctioned by DWP (either recently or in the past) ·            Advisors   and other individuals who have experience of providing advice or other support to sanctioned claimants. Taking part would involve a one-off phone or video call with PLP’s Research Fellow, Caroline Selman, to hear about your experience of the sanctioning process.  Your insights will be used to help shape a strategy for improving access to justice for claimants who have been unfairly or unlawfully sanctioned.   Further information, including how we ensure the   confidentiality and safe processing of any information you provide , is available on our website here :   https://publiclawproject.org.uk/latest/benefits

  'DPAC hasn’t gone away!', it says. Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) are back to doing and they are going to be louder than ever!  This government is not listening to communities who are suffer when we say  #CancelTheCut  to Universal Credit and give  #20More4All   So DPAC campaign to start an  #AudioRiot  to make the government listen to suffering communities!  DPAC will not be silenced.     Sadly, the legacy benefit court case that was due to be heard on 28-29 September 2021 is delayed due to a lack of a judge. You can read about it here:  https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/4428-legacy-benefits-case-delayed-due-to-lack-of-a-judge 'But there is plenty more for everyone to get involved in!,' says DPAC How you can get involved: Support on social media using hashtags  #20More4All #CancelTheCut #StopAndScrapUniversalCredit #IncreaseDisabilityBenefits #UniversalDisCredit Put up a poster and give out posters, leaflets and stickers in your local areas. Email  mail@dpa