

Gavin Newlands MP repeats call for Universal Credit roll-out to be paused
Gavin Newlands, SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, has, once again, called on the UK Government to put on hold the roll-out of Universal Credit until they can fix the range of problems with the new benefit. Universal Credit is due to be rolled-out across Renfrewshire in September but pilot studies which have been held across the UK have highlighted some very serious problems with this new benefit. On Thursday, Mr Newlands criticised the UK Government’s Esther McVey MP


Local MP wins concession from Minister in support for Bridge of Weir Universal Credit claimants
Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, in a letter from Alok Sharma MP, Minister of State for Employment, has won a concession from the UK Government that people from Bridge of Weir claiming Universal Credit should be able to use the Johnstone Jobcentre for all appointments rather than have to travel to Greenock. If, by exception, anybody is asked to attend Greenock instead, their travel expenses will be reimbursed. Mr Newlands recently highlighted in Parliame


Tory Telephone Tax dropped following SNP campaign
Gavin Newlands, SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, has welcomed the u-turn from the UK Government to end the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) ‘telephone tax’ on premium phone line charges. Following months of campaigning from the SNP group at Westminster, the Tory Welfare Minister, David Gauke, has given into pressure to change the system which meant that people phoning a helpline to get information on Universal Credit were having to pay up to 55p a minute to get