Myfanwy warns against ‘week without benefits’

Dr Myfanwy Davies, Plaid’s Llanelli Westminster candidate has this week warned people on benefits in Llanelli of Government plans to re-organise payments that will mean that they lose 1-2 weeks’ benefits overall.

Gordon Brown’s government wants to reorganise the way benefits are paid so that all are paid the same way. Accordingly from last week the Department of Work and Pensions has moved everyone who receives benefits weekly to receive them 2 weeks in arrears. It is estimated that 2 million people across the UK will be affected and should be informed by letter. People affected will need to respond to the letter to get a loan so that they still have an income while they wait for their payments to be received. Nonetheless, the loan will have to be paid back over 12 weeks meaning that those affected will lose a week’s benefits and in some cases – including widows – people will lose their income over 2 weeks. Some experts who have dealt with benefits claimants over the past week have commented that people find it very difficult to understand the letters sent out and do not realise they need to respond to them.
Despite affecting 2 million of the most vulnerable people in the UK, Gordon Brown’s Government has presented the change as an adminstrative measure. Accordingly there has been no debate on this issue at Westminster. The Department of Work and Pensions was unable to release figures on the expected cost saving of denying these 2 million people their benefits over a 1-2 week period.

Myfanwy has questioned whether it was necessary to change all claimants to receiving benefits 2 weeks in arrears rather than for example changing benefits claimants to receiving payments 1 week in advance. Such a measure would have released spending where it is most needed.

Speaking from home in Furnace on Monday, Myfanwy said:
“I am very concerned that people in Llanelli will not understand that they have to answer the letter in order to ask for a loan. The problem is likely to be more serious as the change is being phased in over 2 years so people may not be aware of it. For people on incomes of 60-70 pounds a week, losing a week or even two weeks’ money will mean that they will struggle to pay for food and housing. Even where people affected get a loan, they will need to pay it back over 12 weeks so thay will be losing 1-2 weeks’ money overall.

“At a time when the Gordon Brown is interested in smearing people through their private lives to mask his poor management of the economy, he and his MPs need to look to their own values. We need to tell him it is not right to target the most vulnerable in our communities and take what little they have.”