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25.05.16

Warning over ‘serious design flaws’ as Universal Credit rolled out

The controversial Universal Credit benefits system has started to be fully implemented today, despite warnings from the Resolution Foundation about flaws in its design.

Universal Credit is available to jobseekers with families as well as single job seekers in Bath, Newcastle, Bridgewater, Rugby and Lowestoft jobcentres from today.

Universal Credit involves combining jobseeker’s allowance, income support, employment and support allowance, working tax credit, child tax credits and housing benefits into one payment, and is designed to encourage benefits claimants back into work and to allow them access to an online account about their benefits claim.

But David Finch, senior economic analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Universal Credit is in many ways an improvement on the current system, and some families will be better off. But it also has serious design flaws that need to be addressed before it has been fully implemented.

“The weakened rewards for entering work and earning more are particularly worrying, especially for single parents and second earners who are normally sensitive to such incentives.”

The Resolution Foundation has previously warned that Universal Credit has “veered off-track” from its original goals and will leave the poorest families worst off, with 1.3 million losing all in-work support and 1.2 million suffering reductions in benefits.

Lord Freud, minister for welfare reform, said: “Universal Credit is transforming lives and is central to our vision of a society where anyone, regardless of their background, can get on in life and reach their potential.”

The Public Accounts Committee and the Institute for Fiscal Studies have also published reports criticising the system.

(Image c. Kirsty Wigglesworth from PA Wire)

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Comments

Sam Saveloy   26/05/2016 at 10:58

“Universal Credit is in many ways an improvement on the current system, and some families will be better off." Oh my God, someone will get an earful of abuse, plus the sack, if anyone ends up better off.

Carer And Single Parent   06/06/2016 at 14:00

What's the point of a system that penalises people that want to work through no fault of their own ? The past few years The Government has done a great job of tearing folks apart on the lower end of society . The economy will not roar ahead unless jobs pay a decent wage. Stop branding people, stop turning people against people it's only shielding those Who are benefiting from stolen riches that need to be equally distributed.

Stephen   22/11/2016 at 17:10

Just how is UC transforming lives how does UC encourage people back into work when job seekers didn't UC and sanctions are not about helping anybody into work ( how can a sanction making someone destitute possibly homeless be any help) UC was deliberately designed to intimidate control and oppress the people on it

Wendy   07/08/2017 at 18:59

i was moved of carers allowance in april 2017, told i could not claim until june 10th, had a payment from june 17th cause u cant claim first week, it should have been £317 but they deducted carers allowance £269 which stopped in april? i ended up with £48 thats all i have had since june 10th messaged every day on my journal rang, been into appointments, still nothing,,,, there is no one to question no one to help work coach says it nothing to do with him 3 months £48 really ?

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