In Parliament today I pressed the Department for Work and Pensions on the need to tackle delays in appointments for universal credit claimants. The Universal Credit has been in full service in Newport since November, but June saw it introduced into the Caldicot area as well.

Speaking in DWP questions this morning, I said “Constituents who don’t have a passport or a driving licence – because they’ve had no need for one or can’t afford one – can’t use the online verification system for Universal Credit and need to be seen in person by job centres. There are long waits for appointments for that service, including for those who urgently need advance payments. What is the Minister doing to tackle this?”

Kath Hopkins, Moneysaver Project Officer with the Pobl Group in Newport, previously spoke to BBC Wales to highlight concerns about the process, emphasising that a significant number of claimants who require support cannot apply online.