THE Fife People's Assembly and Fife Trade Union Council will be holding a demonstration on Monday December 6 from 11am outside Glenrothes Job Centre as part of their opposition to the introduction of Universal Credit.

They will also be launching a new booklet for claimants of UC as it comes into operation in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area.

The Assembly is inviting people from this area to get involved and show their support.

Said a spokesperson for the Assembly: "Universal Credit is not a part of the Welfare State, it is the end of the Welfare State.

"The Welfare State was a system that was introduced to ensure that those who were left behind by the Capitalist system were provided with the means to provide a reasonable, minimum standard of living.

"Universal Credit is an in work, corporate Welfare System. It is designed to provide welfare to companies that pay the bare minimum. It is designed to support the zero hours, precarious contract, bogus self employment of the Gig Economy".

The spokesperson added: "If you are a part-time worker claiming tax credits and Housing Benefit, a single parent working part-time and claiming Housing Benefit, then you will end up on Universal Credit.

"If the hours you work are less than the Government is satisfied with, you will still be forced to attend DWP meetings and sign up to a Claimant Agreement stating you will search for and accept extra work. If you don't then your UC will be sanctioned.

"Universal Credit is a working benefit that subsidises low pay and zero hour contracts. It is there to provide the Gig Economy with the ultimate flexible workforce.

"All subsidised and endorsed by the Corporate Welfare State of the Capitalist free market and promoted by the Tories."

The Government claim that Universal Credit is a mechanism to bring various strands of the Welfare system together but there have been concerns about the gap between it starting and the payment of benefits.