#stucwomen18 STUC Women’s Conference slammed the impact of Universal Credit on the low paid and benefits claimants and backed UNISON’s call to stop its roll-out pending a review and reform of the benefit.
UNISON’s motion, moved by Alison English, recognised that the introduction of Universal Credit is more likely to affect women and called for an inclusive system of social security which is adequately funded and not target driven.
Alison highlighted how cruel some of the benefit policies this Conservative Government has implemented. Speaking from personal experience of the roll out of Universal Credit in Glasgow on 30 September, she said: “I am worse off than I have ever been in my 17 years of working full time.”
She added: “This is just the start of an epidemic of people being unable to live a decent life.
“86% of the burden of austerity since 2010 had fallen on women. I can identify with this as I have felt it.”
A PCS amendment called on the Scottish Government to engage with the UK Government to halt managed migration and welfare cuts and to mitigate the impact to claimants of legacy benefits.
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