SWINDON MP Justiin Tomlinson has backed government changes to the universal credit system during the coronavirus crisis.

The payment is to be increased from this month and the waiting time for money will be shortened to help people who cannot work because of coronavirus. As part of his emergency budget the Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the payments would be increased by £1,000 per year.

And new claimants would be able to claim an immediate advance of their first payment meaning they would then have their annual allowance paid over 13 payments, rather than 12. People suffering from the virus, or those who must self-isolate and cannot go to work, making a new claim can receive money immediately.

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson, a minister in the Department for Work & Pensions, which runs the benefits system, commended the measures, announced by the government as part of £7bn of additional support through the welfare system to deal with the Covid-19 crisis.

He said: “In this time of national emergency, I very much welcome both this additional support through the universal credit system, and that the national response has been done with cross-party consensus.”

Sarah Church, who was Labour’s candidate in South Swindon at the last two general elections, said: “The government’s response suggests that it could have done things differently in normal times.

“If it is able to provide help and support quickly during a time of national crisis, perhaps it could do that for people when they have an individual crisis. It would be good if instead of a hostile benefits system, we could have one which provides help to people when they find themselves in difficulty.”

Other changes to the benefits system to help people affected by the virus or the government-ordered lockdown include:

:: Statutory Sick Pay being available from day one of illness from Covid-19.

:: It will be be payable to people who are staying at home on government advice, not just those who are infected, from 13 March.

:: If employees need to provide evidence to their employer that they need to stay at home due to coronavirus, they will be able to get it from the NHS 111 Online.

:: Self-employed claimants on UC who are required to stay at home or are ill as a result of coronavirus will not have a Minimum Income Floor (an assumed level of income) applied for a period of time while affected.