-
23 Apr 19
Universal credit will see 1.9 million claimants lose at least £1,000 each year compared to the previous benefits system, a think-tank has said.
-
12 Apr 19
The impact of welfare policies in Northern Ireland will come under close scrutiny in London in the continuing absence of an executive in Stormont.
-
19 Mar 19
The government needs to improve its post-Brexit plans for attracting talent to the UK, says think-tank Bright Blue’s director Ryan Shorthouse.
-
6 Mar 19
Few would question the aims of universal credit – to deliver a more streamlined welfare system that pays benefits directly to claimants. But a series of funding cuts and failings mean it may never...
-
14 Feb 19
MPs have criticised the government’s decision to reject their calls to ease benefit sanctions for claimants, saying the system is pushing people into “grinding poverty”.
-
17 Jan 19
The government must lift the benefits freeze to stop increasing numbers of people falling into poverty, says Joseph Rowntree Foundation chief executive Campbell Robb.
-
14 Jan 19
The government has side-stepped “the cruellest benefit cut in history” with the latest universal credit changes, according to the chair of the work and pensions committee.
-
29 Oct 18
Philip Hammond has announced an extra funding boost for the government’s flagship universal credit welfare scheme and said the system is “here to stay”, despite criticism.
-
19 Oct 18
Benefits claimants will receive a £1.67bn windfall, owing to “historic underpayments” by the government.
-
24 Jul 18
Child poverty has risen twice as fast as official figures suggest and has been significantly underestimated in government data, a think-tank has warned.
-
4 Jul 18
Work and pensions secretary Esther McVey has come under pressure to withdraw what have been described as misleading remarks about the success of the universal credit programme.
-
15 Jun 18
Universal credit is pushing additional costs onto councils, while the overall scheme may never provide value for money, according to the National Audit Office.
-
8 Jun 18
A charity is demanding a major shake up in the social security system because of “shameful” shortcomings that left one and a half million people in destitution in 2017.
-
26 Jan 18
The introduction of universal credit poses a “significant risk” to public spending control, the Office of Budget Responsibility has warned.
-
2 Jan 18
Thousands of unemployed or extremely low earners in Britain are missing out on financial support because they are not claiming the benefits they are entitled to, according to a think-tank.
-
1 Nov 17
A think-tank has called for the government to inject an extra £3bn into universal credit to make it “fit for purpose”.
-
26 Oct 17
Making claimants wait six weeks for their first universal credit payment is “cruel” and should be cut from six weeks to one month as a matter of urgency, according to a cross-party group...
-
18 Oct 17
Councils could see a reduction in the money they receive to ensure a target numbers of homes are built in their areas, the housing minister has warned.
-
18 Oct 17
Councils in the UK have called on the government to pause or slow down the roll of universal credit as they divert their own scarce funds into helping financially struggling claimants.
-
9 Oct 17
The government should end the benefits freeze rather than increasing the personal tax allowance to help struggling families, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
-
14 Sep 17
The expansion of universal credit is “a disaster waiting to happen” as it pushes people into debt, Citizens Advice has claimed.
-
25 Jul 17
Council housing managers have urged the government to halt the rolling introduction of Universal Credit, which they said is causing “considerable hardship” to tenants.
-
10 Jul 17
The government’s planned roll-out of Universal Credit should be paused until significant problems are addressed, Citizens Advice has warned.
-
15 Feb 17
Universal credit claimants can now receive free support for their personal finances through an online money management tool.
-
13 Jan 17
The Scottish Government has announced the first changes to its benefits regime under the welfare powers devolved by last year’s Scotland Act – but was criticised by its opponents for not...