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Read the latest news & blogs on how we are working to create a London free from poverty
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UC overpayments – Disincentivising fair decision-making
In the wake of the pandemic, more money than ever is being overpaid under the Universal Credit (UC) system. Blunt rule changes to the recoverability of overpayments mean that people are being saddled with debt as a result of structural deficiencies and delays in the decision-making process. As Z2K’s casework highlights, this leaves people in vulnerable circumstances in an impossible situation.
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Error 404: Digital Access not Found
Being of a younger generation and with English as my first language, I am aware of my privilege in being able to navigate a life dictated and shaped by the internet, and computer literacy. Since Covid-19, the necessity to be digitally adept has only increased. However, without the adequate education and provision of resources to ensure digital access for everyone, the benefits system and local authority services remain unfit for purpose.
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In 2021 Tenants are Still at the Mercy of their Landlord
As part of our work profiling the voices of tenants in the Private Rented Sector (PRS), Katarina tells a story of mistreatment, disrespect, and lack of compassion from landlords who know the power they have over her
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A Hidden Army of Women: Fibromyalgia & Living with Chronic Pain
When applying for Social Security benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), people with fibromyalgia and chronic pain join the “hidden army” of those whose health conditions are consistently misunderstood and easily overlooked by the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) and its private health-care assessors.
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Renters Need Change Now
Housing law allows landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason - meaning people like Okwuchi often face prejudice or are punished for asking for repairs. It's this insecurity faced by tenants that the Government promised to address with a new Renters Reform Bill, and we've joined the Renters Reform Coalition to hold them to that.
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Retrospective on Remote Social Security Hearings
Prior to the national lockdown, Z2K’s Tribunal representation project largely revolved around client contact. From our initial meeting with clients at outreach sessions and appointments at our offices to scan their paperwork, to clients meeting their representative and ultimately attending the Tribunal with them on the day of their hearing.
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Legacy Benefits – a year of denial
A year ago, I was one of millions watching the Chancellor’s press conference outlining an emergency package for businesses and individuals affected by the lockdown. When he announced that the Standard Allowance for Universal Credit (UC) would go up by £20 a week, I remember being shocked.
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“I have given you an explanation on your Universal Credit payment, unfortunately it is not for me to comment or discuss your question on how you are to survive”
This was the response my client Sarah* received when she asked her Universal Credit case manager how she, her partner and 2 children were supposed to live on £73 for the entire month. Sarah had been hit by the benefit cap, a policy which has been in place since April 2013 and according to Child Poverty Action Group is now having a devastating impact on up to 250 000 households.
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Silence on the 2.5 million on legacy benefits from the Chancellor and the Leader of the Opposition
Ella Abraham responds to the Chancellor's budget, the inexcusable silence on the issue of those on legacy benefits not receiving the same £20 increase that those on Universal Credit have seen and why we need more from the Leader of the Opposition.
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My experience of the hostile environment that is Universal Credit
I'm Carl, I'm 39, and I’ve been receiving UC for three years. Around the same time I started claiming UC I was diagnosed with degenerative disorder, a condition that affects the vertebrae and nerves in my back and gives me problems with chronic pain.
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Universal Credit claimants need certainty, not ‘alms for the poor’
The extra £20 a week isn’t a bonus, writes Z2k chief executive Anela Anwar, it simply unwinds the Government’s own five-year freeze on working-age benefits.
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How the Government have continued to prop up a two-tier welfare state by ignoring 2 million people during this pandemic
The Government have refused to engage with the evidence that the almost 2 million people on legacy benefits, who are predominantly disabled, sick, or careers, need an increase in their income. This refusal means that too many legacy benefit claimants are left to choose between heating their homes, buying medication or putting warm food on the table.
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