Dear John,

Imagine turning down a promotion because doing so means you will have to turn to a food bank. 

Imagine having to give up your dream job, because having it means you won’t be able to pay your gas and electricity bills. 

This may sound irrational, unfair, plain wrong even. But that’s exactly what happened to Claire, a 29-year-old mother of two boys, who worked for her local council – all because of Universal Credit.

No child should have to worry about their parents’ struggle to make ends meet. A gift from you could ensure we can continue fighting to end child poverty.

You or someone you know may even have experienced huge problems with the government’s flagship benefit, Universal Credit. Many working parents like Claire see their Universal Credit awards rise and fall month by month purely because of the dates their paydays and assessment periods fall.

This fundamental flaw in our social security system may come as a surprise to you. It certainly didn’t to CPAG and other charities we work closely with. We raised it in Parliament back in 2012. And we’ve been raising it ever since with the government on behalf of the most vulnerable in our society. 

Your support can help us challenge flawed policy. Will you please donate today?

The Friday before Christmas, Claire got what for most of us is a blessing – she was paid a few days early because of the holidays. That’s when her two-and-a-half-year nightmare began. As her wages were paid twice within a monthly assessment period, she found herself a victim to the same problem potentially faced by around 85,000 people a year once Universal Credit is fully rolled out. The system thinks they earn twice as much as they actually do. 

It was then that Citizens Advice in Somerset referred Claire’s case to CPAG’s Early Warning System. Its purpose is to expose the flaws in our social security system and to get them fixed. 

Claire’s is not the only story exposing a system that needs to be overhauled. Everyday, I receive reports through the Early Warning System of families in poverty not getting the support they need from our social security system. 

We need your donation so we can create real change and build a safety net that protects and benefits us all in our time of need. 

Best wishes,

Kelly-Marie Jones
 

Welfare Rights Adviser

Early Warning System

PS: After three long years, Claire won her case – she’s shared her story with CPAG supporters. Please click here to read Claire’s story.