London, UK. 24th May 2018. A placard has a machete with dripping blood and the message 'Cuts Kill' and people hold a banner with the names of a hundred of the many who have died because of DWP benefit sanctions at the Unite Community rally in front of the Houses of Parliament, a part of the Unite National Day of Action against Universal Credit. They call for an immediate stop to the roll out of Universal Credit which has proved to be an economic and political disaster bringing distress and impoverishment to those forced to endure it. Credit: Peter Marshall/Alamy Live News
London, UK. 24th May 2018. A placard has a machete with dripping blood and the message 'Cuts Kill' and people hold a banner with the names of a hundred of the many who have died because of DWP benefit sanctions at the Unite Community rally in front of the Houses of Parliament, a part of the Unite National Day of Action against Universal Credit. They call for an immediate stop to the roll out of Universal Credit which has proved to be an economic and political disaster bringing distress and impoverishment to those forced to endure it. Its implementation has so far cost at least £ billion, and resulted in a soaring use of food banks by those put onto it, and 60% of those put on to it have gone into rent arrears, with many evictions. As well as lengthy waits of up to 3 months without receiving any benefits, the complexity of the system and the on-line application have led to many claimants being sanctioned, losing benefits completely for up to 3 years. Even while working, claimants are forced to show that they are making efforts to work longer hours or get better paid jobs under threat of sanctions. A report by the Trussell Trust shows 92 per cent of people on UC say it doesn’t cover their full cost of living, and 57 per cent have experienced mental or physical health problems. Peter Marshall/Alamy Live News
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