Scots claiming Universal Credit 'could miss out' on cost of living payment

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Thousands of Scots on Universal Credit could miss out on a cost-of-living payment due eligibility rules, an SNP MP has warned.Martin Docherty-Hughes has written to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to highlight what he called "flawed" rules on who could receive the first £326 payment this month.The MP was alerted by a constituent who was told she would miss out on the payment due to her wage being paid on a four-weekly basis instead of per calendar month.Cost of living payments are being paid to millions of low income households across the UK from this week.Scots on means-tested benefits should receive the money automatically in their bank, building society or credit union account.But Docherty-Hughes told the Record he had spoken with one woman who was told by the DWP she could not receive the payment due to her being paid on a four-weekly basis.The woman, who holds down a job as well as receiving Universal Credit, was left "devastated".Docherty-Hughes said: "It's worrying that hundreds of thousands of low-income households who'd expected to receive this cost-of-living payment could miss out because of the Westminster government's flawed eligibility criteria."Families across the country are struggling due to the UK's cost-of-living crisis."They need support now and it's devastating for my constituent and others who are ordinarily in receipt of Universal Credit to be unfairly excluded from this much-needed payment."In-work poverty is at its highest level for decades, and now the UK government appears to be penalising people who are paid four-weekly, rather than monthly."I'd urge the Work and Pensions Secretary to act quickly to resolve this before thousands more families are forced needlessly into foodbanks."The