Morning Briefing: further Universal Credit delays possible

In the news

The Guardian reports that new work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd struck a conciliatory tone on Universal Credit yesterday.

Appearing before the Work and Pensions Select Committee, Ms Rudd indicated that she would consider further policy changes and roll-out delays.

A week after the full roll-out of the first stage of the new benefits system, the BBC has released a short video explaining some of the problems with it.

In it, social affairs correspondent Michael Buchanan explains the links to rises in foodbank use, debt and rent arrears.

Another BBC video, also released this morning, sees Mr Buchanan speaking to residents of Hartlepool who have been moved onto Universal Credit.

He speaks to one landlord who says he has evicted 15 to 20 Universal Credit claimants in the past 12 months.

Elsewhere, The Guardian carries a story on a homeless man who has died after collapsing outside the houses of parliament.

Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer informed the House of Commons of the man’s death during a speech about the government’s preparations for leaving the European Union without a withdrawal agreement.

The same newspaper reports on calls from experts for attacks on homeless people to be treated as hate crimes.

A Guardian investigation, it said, has found that only a handful of police forces record crimes against rough sleepers and the homeless as a specific category, making it hard to give evidence to concerns that assaults have been increasing recently.

Also in The Guardian is the news that London house prices fell 1.7% in the year to October, dragging average UK house price growth down to its lowest level since July 2013.

According to analysts speaking to The Guardian, this, along with slowing inflation and Brexit, will deter the Bank of England from raising interest rates.

Meanwhile, the BBC reports that fire safety checks across England have fallen by 42% over the past seven years.

The new watchdog for fire and rescue services, according to the BBC, says brigades do a good job in emergencies but have reduced their work on prevention.

On social media

The business campaigning group London First has been on Twitter criticising the government’s decision to reject Clarion’s plans to demolish an estate:

Estate Regeneration has an important role to play in our capital. Let’s hope this can be progressed for the benefit of Londoners t.co/JaakVHO9df

— London First (@London_First)

Estate Regeneration has an important role to play in our capital. Let's hope this can be progressed for the benefit of Londoners https://t.co/JaakVHO9df

— London First (@London_First) December 19, 2018