Universal credit is slowly being rolled out across the UK. Once fully in place millions of households including over half of all families with children will be entitled to the benefit.
But what impact will it have?
So far only relatively few have actually experienced universal credit (UC), but its impact is already being felt. Changes to universal credit work allowances will in May leave tens of thousands of claimants up to £200 a month out of pocket.
The original aim of UC was to “make work pay”. But critics say the work allowance cuts significantly reduce the incentive for people on universal credit to work extra hours, and dilute its original ambitions.
Universal credit also introduces controversial new conditions for claimants who are working. Currently being trialled, this requires some working claimants to seek to work more hours, take on extra jobs, or face fines.
The Guardian recently reported on the case of a bar worker doing 30-40 hours a week who was sanctioned after she took a family holiday in Spain booked before she was moved on to UC.
We want to hear from others about their experiences of UC:
- Are you worse off as a result of the changes, and how has this affected your household finances?
- Have you been subjected to in-work conditionality (such as sanctions, job centre interviews) as part of the in-work progression trials?
- What was your experience of the 42-day waiting time to receive the first universal credit payment after signing on?
- From a claimant’s point of view, is UC better or worse than the legacy benefits it replaces? Please explain why (for example, is it less bureaucratic?)
