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The Labor Party urged MPs to unite to oppose the budget if it did not include plans to end the widespread criticism of universal credit.
Chancellor, Philip Hammond, hinted that he would announce additional funding for CUs, after rumors that his introduction would increase the number of homeless and use of food banks, but John McDonnell Labor called for the suspension of the extension of benefits.
McDonnell took the floor as the House of Commons All Party Committee on Labor and Retirement also called for a suspension of EC deployment until the Ministry of Labor and Pensions introduced measures to prevent applicants from going into debt.
In an interview with Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, McDonnell said, "What we're saying – and it's not just me, it's the National Audit Office, it's a lot of charities – [is] put an end to the deployment of universal credit to prevent these people from falling into poverty.
"And I say to the other political parties, if [Hammond] do not stop the deployment of universal credit, we must vote this budget down. We must prevent it from forcing people into poverty in this way. "
McDonnell also said that Hammond's refusal to recognize EC-related problems was tantamount to "merciless complacency," but he insisted that the problem not be prolonged rather than abolished in his Sunday talks. A Labor Party spokesman advocated the abolition of CU, but some experts say that it is not realistic.
The EC, which replaces six existing benefits with a single payment, is supposed to simplify the social protection system and increase work incentives. About 1.2 million households already receive UC, and this number is expected to increase to about 7 million once it is extended to all potential applicants.
In a report released Sunday, the Labor and Pensions Committee said that any new move of large-scale plaintiffs to the UC should not take place until the DWP has introduced a new approach. flexible and discretionary debt management "for applicants. best practices in the retail sector ".
Claimants are expected to get help for personal budgeting under a system called universal assistance, but the committee said the only two-hour training session offered was terribly inadequate.
Frank Field, the independent Labor MP who chairs the committee, said: "Universal support is not universal and has not provided much support. The plan now is to offer budgeting advice, but no debt advice, to people who have no budget after paying their debt.
"DWP should not push one more claimant on universal credit as long as he can not prove that he will not push him to the limit."
The DWP responded that it had taken steps to resolve the issues raised by the creation of a £ 51 million partnership with Citizens Advice to provide universal support.
