Man Left with £7 for Holidays, Blames Universal Credit System

Unemployed 35-year-old Richard Williams was left with £7 from the Universal Credit system to tide him until January 2020. Williams blames the system’s “silly assessment period” over the struggles he is facing, especially during the holidays.

Universal Credit is the financial support system provided to unemployed and low-income individuals and families. This program observes a single monthly payment scheme designed to help those to carry on with their daily lives.

According to the Mirror, Williams was given a lesser amount for his monthly support after receiving £800 from his previous employment.

The £7 amount obtained by the 35-year-old was reportedly on top of the 20 cents required to keep his bank account running. Based on the article released by Metro, he visited the online welfare entitlement portal to see his allocation until January, only to find out that he had been given £7.

Universal Credit System

Following his resignation from the Wood Group at Devonport as a fire safety assessor last November 24, 2019, the man revealed he was struggling to find another source of employment. Because of this, Williams qualified for the Universal Credit system that provided him housing and allowance stipends amounting to £628.

Already behind his rent and now using electricity vouchers to power his apartment, Williams said that in the meantime, he has also taken to shamefully relying on his sick mother for support.

In a statement, Richard shared, “I need the people in charge of Universal Credit to really help me at the moment. I rang them and explained I needed an advance”, and they said, “no, it’s up to the system.”

When asked for a statement on the issue, a DWP spokesperson said to the Mirror, “Universal Credit, like every other means tested benefit takes all income into account when calculating entitlement. For his last benefit, Mr. Williams received over £800 in wages meaning he was entitled to a reduced amount.”