ONE of York’s first Universal Credit claimants had to survive 15 weeks without any payment of the new welfare benefit - until The Press intervened.

Peter Clark says he has only been able to eat regularly since lodging his claim in July thanks to York’s food banks and the generosity of fellow parishioners at a York church, and he is now facing eviction from his Holgate flat after being unable to pay the rent.

The 26-year-old said he had been left suffering from depression and anxiety after his battle with bureaucracy, during which he had to make numerous calls to a 60-pence a minute helpline – pushing him deeper into debt.

But within hours of The Press raising his plight with the Department of Works and Pensions, (DWP), it apologised to him and paid the benefit.

Mr Clark said arrears had been paid, and this was clearly thanks to the newspaper’s interest in his case. However, he believed he was owed more money after being signed off with sickness by his doctor in August, and said he had asked for an investigation.

He said he was a graduate who had worked as a commercial analyst until being made redundant in June, and he had applied on July 10 for Universal Credit (UC) as Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) was no longer available in York.

He said he received just a single £200 advanced payment, and otherwise lived on food from the York food bank and from generous parishioners at St Paul’s Church and his family, and he had also had to sell possessions from childhood, such as his camera and jewellery.

His problems began when he failed to attend a Job Centre appointment in August because he was suffering from a severe stomach bug, making the mistake of failing to call to explain.This led to his application being dismissed within 20 minutes

He appealed, unaware he could simultaneously make a fresh application. When the appeal was dismissed, he started again with a fresh application. He said he was told he was entitled to UC and would receive it shortly but he received a message last month saying he was entitled to £0.

He said the delay was apparently because officials believed his former employer had continued to pay him, even though he was redundant in June.

A DWP spokeswoman confirmed Mr Clark’s claim was cancelled after missing his UC appointment, and he wasn’t informed he could make a fresh claim.

She said it seemed his former employer had then put his wage details in late, resulting in a nil payment, and he brought in his wage slip and bank statement to prove that incorrect information was input and a dispute was lodged with HMRC.

“We have been in touch with Mr Clark to apologise for the difficulties he experienced with his claim,” she said. “All arrears of Universal Credit have now been paid.” She added that the vast majority of claimants were paid in full and on time, and‘comfortable managing their money.’

Citzen's Advice deals with 200 Universal Credit claims

CITIZENS Advice York said Mr Clark was not the first -and wouldn’t be the last- client to experience such problems with Universal Credit (UC).

Chief executive Simon Topham said: “We have dealt with more than 200 queries relating to UC in less than four months, since it started to be rolled out in York in July.”

He said people only moved on to UC from another benefit with a change in circumstance, such as moving home, losing or separating from a partner or having a child, so it would continue to roll out in York for the next two or three years.

“The biggest problem is probably the six week delay before payments are made, which leaves people running out of money and struggling to pay for essentials such as food, and gas and electricity meters,” he said.

“Clients have been very frustrated and very upset. They have had to ask for help from the food banks for the first time and we have been issuing more food bank vouchers since UC was introduced. People are entitled to three vouchers in six months, each entitling them to three days’ worth of food for them and their family.

“People can receive an advance payment of up to £500 to help them through the payment delay, but this has to be repaid within six months through deductions from their payments, which can have quite a big impact.” He backed the Archbishop of York’s call for the six week delay to be cut to four.