10,000 claiming Universal Credit
THERE are more than 10,000 Universal Credit claimants in Halton, according to the latest statistics.
New figures from the Department For Work And Pensions have revealed that 10,179 people in Runcorn and Widnes were on the benefits system in September.
It means an extra 179 people across the borough were put on Universal Credit in the last month, ensuring around one in 13 people in the area now claim the benefit.
Across the rest of the Liverpool City Region, 74,787 people were on the benefits system in September.
It means an extra 3,534 individuals across the area were put on to Universal Credit in the last month alone.
In August, there were 71,253 people in Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens and Knowsley on Universal Credit.
The figure has also soared in the last year – in September 2018, there were just 42,297 people on this type of benefit.
The full roll out of the system is due to happen next year, although the date keeps being pushed back.
However, in the meantime anyone making a fresh claim for benefits or those whose circumstances change will still be moved on to the scheme.
The system was first introduced in 2013, and was intended to replace six ‘legacy’ benefits, including unemployment benefit, tax credits and housing benefit.
It was supposed to be implemented across the UK by 2017, but management failures, IT blunders and design faults mean it has already fallen at least six years behind schedule.
The system is now not expected to be fully operational until December 2023.
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There have been a wealth of problems caused by the new single benefit.
As well as leaving claimants with nothing to live on during the transition period – which takes longer than a month – many are then finding they are then worse off than they were while on legacy benefits.
Meanwhile, flaws in the system put poorer claimants especially at heightened risk of hunger, debt and rent arrears, ill-health and homelessness.
The Government has also faced several legal challenges in the High Court over the policy.