Over recent months, Heidi has continued to campaign for Universal Credit to have adequate funding to ensure that it can provide transformational support and help people into work in the way that was intended when it was first introduced.
In her role as a member of the Department for Work and Pensions Select Committee, Heidi has continued to focus on the improvements needed to the Universal Credit system. In the past, Heidi has outlined her concerns about previous changes made to the funding for Universal Credit before 2015 and welcomed additional funding of £1.5 billion provided in the Autumn Statement 2017 to reduce the waiting period to 5 weeks, provide an additional two weeks Housing Benefit for tenants and providing advance loans which are now repayable over 12 months.
Heidi has recently voiced her concerns about suggestions that some families may be worse off under the new arrangements. In particular, Heidi has called on the Chancellor to increase funding and focus in particular on the needs of single parent families and second earners in families. She has called on the Government to consider ways to help with the level of work allowances, which are the amounts that can be earned without affecting Universal Credit payments.
Heidi recently appeared on BBC Newsnight and Channel 4 news to outline her concerns and her proposals for how the Government should respond to these concerns. You can see Heidi on Newsnight by watching the clip above and Heidi's appearance on Channel 4 news is available here.