Received from: Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
Congress condemns the Conservative government’s dismantling of the welfare state.
Universal credit was supposedly intended to simplify and improve access to social security, make it easier for people to manage the move into work and reduce administrative costs however with its in-built rules and cuts it entirely fails to meet these aims. The five-week wait, monthly assessment periods, the inaccuracy of real-time payroll information and online claim management all cause significant financial problems for claimants.
Congress calls on the Labour government to positively promote properly funded social security and employment reform as an integral part of a functioning modern society. As a first step, Congress calls on the government to urgently convene a taskforce that sets out a timeframe for introducing measures that address the injustices and flaws within the current system.
The Labour government’s approach to universal credit must make work pay, support people into decent jobs, end poverty, offer a proper safety net and promote equality.
To reach these goals, the taskforce must commit to:
i. removing the five-week wait and abolishing the two-child limit
ii. reforming work allowances and taper rates to ensure that work pays
iii. addressing administrative flaws within the system
iv. ending the punitive system of sanctions
v. enabling claimants to have their claim reviewed and adjusted by a DWP adviser rather than relying on computer systems
vi. Congress agrees to campaign for statutory provisions to ensure that any future changes to our social security system cannot be introduced without meaningful consultation with claimants and their representatives.
Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
AMENDMENT
Add new bullet points after vi.:
“vii. Congress agrees to oppose cuts to the winter fuel allowance and demands appropriate taxation of corporations and the super-rich, to fund the social security improvements identified in this motion”
“viii. Congress asserts the right of social security workers and their unions to full consultation on all changes to social security.”
Public and Commercial Services Union