'˜Step in, pause, and fix Universal Credit', Batley and Spen MP urges Prime Minister

Speaking in the House of Commons Ms Brabin said a couple in her constituency have had their universal credit application delayed because the lady does not have any photo ID. Ms Brabin said: “She can’t afford a passport and doesn’t drive. Instead she must wait for her dentist and doctor to confirm her identity.”

She then asked the Prime Minister to “use some common sense, transfer identification from legacy benefits over to universal credit and stop unnecessary delays giving my constituents more pain and suffering.”

In response Theresa May defended the roll-out of Universal Credit and asked Ms Brabin to write to the Secretary and State with more details. Universal Credit will be rolled out to 400,000 people over the winter.

After the exchange Ms Brabin said: “Real flaws with Universal Credit remain. “The case I raised Prime Minister has a common sense solution, rather than making people wait, the government could just transfer identification from historic benefits rather than forcing families to prove who they are all over again. As we run up to Christmas, Theresa May needs to step in and pause and fix Universal Credit. In the particular case I raised Theresa May asked me to contact the Department for Work and Pensions Secretary of State directly, which I’ll certainly do.”