PARENTS being moved onto universal credits could lose hundreds of pounds a month a Glasgow MP has told.

During a debate on the controversial benefit, Labour and SNP MPs warned of the damage being caused across the country and urged the Government to halt the roll out of the benefit.

It is currently being phased in across Glasgow with Govan and Laurieston JobCentre arears switching to the new system. All other areas will follow before the end of the year.

Glasgow Central SNP MP Alison Thewliss, told of one constituent who came to her and how much she will lose if she is put onto the benefit.

She said the woman who came to an advice surgery with five children.

Ms Thewlis said: “She will be out by £700 per moth is she moves on to Universal Credit.

“There is no way on God’s green earth that she will be able to make that up through work or through any other means.

“All it will do is put her family into poverty. This system needs to be fixed it needs to be stopped before Glasgow gets in some serious trouble.”

She lambasted the claim that people can take an advance payment while they wait weeks for the first pay out.

Ms Thewliss added: “Advanced payment is not the solution it only makes people rob themselves in advance.”

Advances are loans paid back over in reductions over the next year.

The Government narrowly avoided defeat in a vote on a Labour motion which would have forced the government to publish its own impact assessments on universal credit.

It won by 20 votes after a debate lasting more than three hours.

Labour called on the Government to halt the roll out.

Paul Sweeney, Glasgow North East MP criticized Scottish Secretary David Mundell for declaring he as “satisfied with Universal Credit.

Mr Sweeney said: ““David Mundell is completely out of touch on Universal Credit. The scheme is pushing people into poverty and debt but the cabinet’s invisible man claims he is satisfied with it

“The Tories must stop the rollout of Universal Credit immediately.”

Work and Pensions Secretary, Esther McVey, said she had made changes to support vulnerable people and that Universal Credit was helping get people into work.