WOMEN have turned to sex work as a result of the UK Government’s flagship welfare project, a senior MP has warned.
Frank Field, the independent MP who chairs the Work and Pensions Committee, said that is the effect the introduction of Universal Credit (UC) has had on some women in his Birkenhead constituency on Merseyside.
During a parliamentary debate on the controversial reform yesterday, Labour also repeated demands to pause the roll-out of UC, while Tory MPs called for extra funding.
Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey said she has been discussing UC with Chancellor Philip Hammond and that details of these talks will be revealed in the Budget later this month.
Field said: “Might I raise a question that I wrote to the Secretary of State about, about how Universal Credit is being rolled out in Birkenhead, how it is not going as well as we’re told in the House of Commons, and some women have taken to the red light district for the first time?
“Might she come to Birkenhead and meet those women’s organisations and the police who are worried about women’s security being pushed into this position?”
McVey replied: “We need to work with those ladies and see what help we can give them from the work coaches right the way through to the various charities and organisations.”
She also asked Field to tell the women that there are “record job vacancies”.
When asked by the SNP’s work and pensions spokesman Neil Gray if she has asked the Chancellor for more money for UC, McVey refused to give any details.
She said: “I don’t let people know what we do in private meetings – old fashioned as that might be, I don’t – but what he can know is I am championing UC to make sure that it works the best it can possibly work. Take from that what he will.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here