Mind responds to Esther McVey's resignation
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Esther McVey’s has resigned.
McVey is one of a spate of cabinet ministers to step down over Brexit.
Responding to this resignation, Sophie Corlett, Director of External Relations at Mind, said:
“In her short time as Minister, Esther McVey has been tasked with overseeing the continued roll out of the much-criticised Universal Credit benefit. Mind has long been fighting for a welfare system that works for the hundreds of thousands of people who need support from benefits, including those unable to work because of their mental health.
“The top priority for whoever replaces Esther McVey needs to be ensuring people are moved over smoothly from older benefits onto Universal Credit. The current regulations will force three million people, including hundreds of thousands of people with mental health problems, to make a new claim. In so doing, many people risk losing their income and even their homes. We’re urging MPs to vote these regulations down in coming weeks so that nobody falls through the cracks through no fault of their own.
“It’s not just about Universal Credit – the entire benefits system is not fit for purpose, whether it’s being put through a stressful and flawed assessment to being treated with suspicion and constantly worrying about being sanctioned. We want to see the new Minister listen to the concerns of disabled people and those with mental health problems and use this information to create a system that really works for them.”
