Stop Universal Credit, fight the Digital Workhouse: 1st August 2019

The Greater Manchester Law Centre supports the national day of action to #STOPUniversalCredit on 1^st August 2019.

Local actions have been organised in Manchester by Manchester Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC) and Unite Community Union.

Find out about the DPAC event in St Peters Square, Thursday 1 August 2019, 13:00-15:00 here

Find out about the Unite day of action here.

“A digital and sanitised version of the 19th century workhouse”

Through our own casework and through our work with DPAC, we have identified one particular hurdle which is preventing people from accessing the benefits they need and deserve: the digitalisation of the welfare benefit claim process. Unite’s campaign against Universal Credit also highlights the barrier created by compulsory use of computers and internet access[1].

We fight for a supportive security system. Universal Credit has been designed with hurdles and barriers to the right to benefits from the very start. We are in a hostile environment for benefit claimants and digitalisation is a powerful example of an obvious flaw that is being built into our welfare system to deny people what they deserve.

On this day of action on 1^st August 2019, we are campaigning to Stop and Scrap Universal Credit. In particular, we are protesting the “digital by default agenda”.

UN special rapporteur Phillip Alston specifically mentioned the flaws in digitalisation in the UK welfare benefit system:

“The British welfare state is gradually disappearing behind a webpage and an algorithm, with significant implications for those living in poverty.

“It might seem to some observers that the Department of Work and Pensions has been tasked with designing a digital and sanitised version of the 19th century workhouse, made infamous by Charles Dickens.”

Our research into experiences of digitalisation in the benefits process

The government’s digital by default agenda “aims to transform public services online – making them better and cheaper for taxpayers and more effective and efficient for government”[2]. This includes Universal Credit (UC), for which the whole claims process is to be managed online, with Work Coaches also communicating with claimants via their online journals[3].

Cost-cutting

Digital by default policies in welfare benefits are a cost-cutting measure. These policies and procedures are on the rise, particularly with Universal Credit. Our own work, our conversations with local disability rights groups and external research shows us that this new system increases digital exclusion particularly in groups who most need social security. The most excluded groups are the those in poverty, elderly, disabled people, and BAME. This intersection of exclusion is then made worse by a deliberately inaccessible digital by default system.

We see striking similarities with the fight for access to legal advice and representation. We know from our work that face to face services cannot be replaced with cheaper phone and computer services. Although digital and remote services are beneficial and even preferable for many, they are not a replacement for fully funded face to face services.

Exclusion by digitalisation

Exclusion by digitalisation can occur before a claim has even started, as you need computers for many new claims now. People who do have access to a computer can still run into problems, as you need to create an account to start a new claim, which requires certain knowledge. Additionally, you need an email address, phone number, bank account, and pieces of identification. So many clients lack one or more of these, and the system currently doesn’t offer a way around it.

“Almost 10% of the UK population has never been online… A significant percentage of those who will be using the UC portal do not have the digital skills to access the system that delivers vital funds that support both them and their families.” – https://www.we-are-digital.co.uk/digital-challenge-of-universal-credit/

Impact on advisers

The exclusion does not stop there. Digitalisation is a barrier for volunteers and advisers as well, especially advisers who are used to working the old system and are not used to helping clients with online issues. Volunteers can be limited in how much they can learn because of how quickly they are required to update their technological knowledge to keep up with DWP practices. This limits not only their personal development, but also the extent to which they can effectively work alongside claimants.

“The fact that people need help just to fill in a form, shows how complicated the system has become” – a welfare benefits caseworker we consulted in Greater Manchester

No flexibility

The claims process contains many barriers that prevent disabled people and people in mental distress claiming successfully. Unable to meet restrictive deadlines or ‘to-do lists’ required by the online system people’s claims are closed or they are sanctioned. Digitalisation places a lot of conditionality on claimants, and many of are not provided with reasonable adjustments they should be given under the equality act in order to meet these increasing demands. Unable to work or get benefits people are at risk of rough sleeping and drastically reduced life expectancy. With face to face advice, this would be easier to spot and assist with, and alternatives could be found. This flexibility is not available on an online form.

Digital gap

There is a certain expectation that problems with the ‘digital gap’ will be solved by the voluntary sector. This means charities and community organisations being relied upon to provide access to computers and digital expertise in order to make the claims process function. At the Greater Manchester Law Centre we experienced this when, in 2017, we were approached by a Job Centre who asked ask if we would provide computers and supervisors to help people keep online journals for Universal Credit[4]. We refused: the government can’t keep loading tasks on the sector, it’s overworked and overstretched already, and it shouldn’t be our responsibility to fix the issues caused by the government.

Call to action

We call on others in our campaigning community to share their experiences of the digital by default process and, in particular, the ways it can leave people in the cold. We will continue to support disabled people’s organisations and others who are fighting against these barriers, including by supporting the national day of action to stop Universal Credit on 1^st August 2019.

#STOPUniversalCredit

Find out about the DPAC event in St Peters Square, Thursday 1 August 2019, 13:00-15:00 here

Find out about the Unite day of action here.