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1 in 5 people aren't happy with the Universal Credit system

One in five people are unhappy with the Universal Credit system, Theresa has admitted.

Under fire from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn during Prime Minister’s Questions, Mrs May told the Commons that she had acknowledged there were concerns over the system.

Of people claiming benefits in the UK, 8% are on Universal Credit, she said, with the number set to rise to 10% in January.

“I am pleased to say that four out of five people are satisfied or very satisfied with the service that they are receiving,” she added.

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But Mr Corbyn seized on the figures to point out that they mean 20% of people are unhappy with the system.

“I would have thought that if only 8% of the rollout has taken place and 20% of the people in receipt of it are dissatisfied with it, that’s a cause for thought, maybe a pause in the whole process,” he said.

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Mr Corbyn used PMQs to ask the Prime Minister to “respect the will of the House” and pause Universal Credit (UC) after MPs last week supported a non-binding motion to halt the welfare reforms.

He raised concerns over “hard-pressed” councils having to “pick up the bill” from UC, with MPs hearing that Croydon Council is spending £3 million from its budget to prevent tenants being evicted due to rent arrears.

<em>Cause for thought – Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn asked the Prime Minister to “respect the will of the House” and pause Universal Credit (Pictures: AP) </em>
Cause for thought – Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn asked the Prime Minister to “respect the will of the House” and pause Universal Credit (Pictures: AP)

The Labour leader also quoted Tory Welsh Assembly member Angela Burns, who was reported to have questioned why there is a wait of up to six weeks for new claimants to receive their first payment, saying: “She called Universal Credit callous at best and downright cruel at worst, and concluded by saying she’s ashamed of her Government.

“Can the Prime Minister ease her colleague’s shame by pausing and fixing Universal Credit.”

Mrs May criticised the benefits system under the previous Labour government, saying: “Under Labour, people were trapped in a life on benefits for years.”