VIEWERS of a BBC show have hit out at the government after an episode set in Bolton showed people struggling to deal with the Universal Credit system.
The final episode of Universal Credit: Inside the Welfare State was aired last night and showed two struggling women, Jenny and Paula, who are trying to navigate the new rules around benefits.
20 year-old Jenny finds a waitressing job which appeals to her. However, she quickly realises that the zero-hour contract makes her shift pattern unpredictable.
As Universal Credit is paid a month in arrears it can leave her with very little to live off and confused about how much money she will get on a monthly basis.
Paula takes advantage of an advanced payment system to get her money earlier. But, she is not used to receiving this amount of money in one payment, and spends much of it quickly leaving her struggling to survive on what's left.
The show drew a strong reaction from viewers and many were angry at the way the system works.
Twitter user MidBoss wrote: "Saw trending, was reminded that the vultures at DWP once tried to sanction me for attending a doctor's appointment to alleviate a serious health concern.
"Meanwhile, the landed gentry sleep in the House of Lords and get paid to do so."
Others had even more difficult battles with the system.
One Twitter user wrote: "I was unemployed for 5 years on JSA under the job centre's boot, do you have any idea how it feels to be rejected for every single job interview for 5 years without feedback?
"I was close to suicide before I got into university, lucky really."
Another Twitter user Sean Michael said: "A huge portion of people on UC are hard working people who want to do the most they can."
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