GOOD people are suffering and need help, urges the chair of the Flintshire Democrats.

Andrew Pankhurst has asked Delyn MP Rob Roberts to apply his ‘influence’ to get the five-week waiting time for Universal Credit scrapped.

In an open letter, Mr Pankhurst said that before the coronavirus outbreak, the UC system was ‘failing people’ but things have gotten a ‘whole lot worse’ for some of the most vulnerable in society.

He wrote: “Demanding people wait five weeks, having to rely on friends, foodbanks or good fortune to feed themselves is not fair and is simply not good enough.

“The Coronavirus outbreak is bad enough but no one should be going hungry or worrying where their next meal is coming from.

“I would like to give you an example of a case in Flintshire that has been referred to me. A single mother with two toddlers has been waiting for over 7 weeks for her Universal Credit application to be processed.

“Their health visitor is in self-isolation so the mother has been unable to get a foodbank voucher. But even if she had a voucher she could not safely go out as her one-year old son has asthma and they need therefore to self-isolate.

“The family has completely run out of money and has been relying on the generosity of friends to survive. The measures put in place to defeat the Coronavirus outbreak have now put pressure on the finances of the mother's friends so they are no longer able to help.”

The Chair of the Flintshire Lib Dems said beyond the provision of free school lunches, the promise of a foodbank voucher and an expectation the UC application is processed by April 10, there has been no other material assistance to date.

He added: “. If I had not taken round an emergency supply of food and nappies this mother, who is doing her absolute best for her children, would not have been able to feed herself or her children and would have been unable to provide clean nappies for her baby.

“This is not about someone who has been feckless. It is a real and tragic example where a vulnerable family has fallen through the cracks of our social security system.

“My worry is not just for this family (for which I am arranging ongoing support until they get back on their feet) but for all the other families in Flintshire who are in a similar situation.

“I plead with you Rob, as our MP, to do your best for these families and get the 5-week waiting time for Universal Credit scrapped.

“I look forward please to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

“I hope you don't mind if I publish this open letter Rob because good people are suffering and they desperately need your help.”