Depaul UK CEO, Mike Thiedke, said “We are extremely disappointed the government has not announced an end to the five-week wait for Universal Credit. The funding that ministers have announced to make Universal Credit work better for vulnerable people will help, but the five-week wait will still force young people without a home to choose between taking on debt or trying to survive with no money whatsoever.”
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Minister for Welfare Delivery have both recently met Depaul staff and young people using our services. They’ve heard how deductions taken from young people’s Universal Credit leaves them unable to meet their basic living costs. Depaul hopes that these issues will be resolved in the upcoming March 2020 Budget. Mike Thiedke is clear, “the government urgently needs to address these welfare system problems.”
Mike added, “Depaul UK wants to work with the government to end youth homelessness. We need investment in emergency accommodation services such as Nightstop, family services which help young people and their parents to live together, and housing and homelessness education in schools.”
