The five-week wait for his first Universal Credit payment forced dad of three “Zach L.”, a sales assistant, into debt. The government’s flawed calculation model also caused his payment to drop from £1024 in September 2019 to £471 in October. Struggling to support his partner and three children, he has been forced to rely on the foodbank. But the food parcels are ill-suited to their 6-month old’s needs. “They can’t give us nappies, which are essential for the baby. They can’t give us wipes, which are essential for the baby. The baby just started weaning, which means he needs baby food, which they can’t provide.”
© 2020 Samer Muscati/Human Rights Watch