BBC news, 19 October 2017: Theresa May to scrap universal credit helpline charges
People will be able to call the government’s universal credit helpline without being charged, within weeks.
Prime Minister Theresa May said she had listened to criticism of the charges, which can be up to 55p a minute, and decided it was “right” to drop them.
But she again rejected calls by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to “pause” the roll-out of the controversial benefit amid fears it is causing hardship.
In a symbolic vote, MPs backed a pause after Tory MPs were told to abstain.
The opposition won by 299 votes to 0 with one Conservative – Totnes MP Sarah Wollaston – defying her party by siding with Labour.
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The outcome is not binding on the government although Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said ministers must “act on the clearly expressed will of Parliament” and halt its roll out.
Commons Speaker John Bercow advised ministers to take account of the vote and “show respect for the institution” by indicating what they intended to do.
‘Simpler system’
Universal credit, which rolls six working-age benefits into a single payment, is designed to make the system simpler and ensure no-one faces a situation where they would be better off claiming benefits than working.
But it has faced a backlash from Tory MPs, who fear payment delays risk pushing families into destitution.
Explaining her decision to rebel, Dr Wollaston said the length of time people were waiting to be paid – in many cases more than six weeks – was a “fundamental flaw” that must be addressed.
She told the BBC she wanted to “see a much stronger commitment” from government “that they’ll do that immediately”.
At Prime Minister’s Questions earlier, Mr Corbyn said he was glad the PM had “bowed to Labour pressure” by scrapping the hotline charges.
But he added: “The fundamental problems of universal credit remain – the six week wait, rising indebtedness, rent arrears and evictions.
“Will the prime minister now pause universal credit and fix the problems before pressing ahead with the roll-out?”
Mrs May prompted cheers from Labour MPs as she began her reply with “yes”, before urging them to “listen to the whole sentence I was going to make”.
She said universal credit was “a simpler system”, that “encourages people to get into the workplace – it is a system that is working because more people are getting into work”.
The universal credit hotline will become free to use “over the next month”, the government has said, and that would be followed by all DWP helplines by the end of the year.
The government says it makes no money from the 0345 number. It is charged at local rate and is included as a free call in many landline and mobile phone packages but can cost some mobile phone users as much as 55p a minute.
Read more about Universal Credit and watch the videos
Guardian: Universal credit helpline charges to be scrapped
ITV news: Universal Credit helpline call charges abolished after huge criticism
Channel 4 news: Was Jeremy Corbyn right about the cost of the universal credit helpline?
Huffpost: Universal Credit Claimants Charged More Than Tax Avoiders To Call Government
Independent: Universal Credit helpline 55p-a-minute charge to be scrapped, Government announces
