Universal Credit is a new benefit that will gradually replace these six existing means-tested benefits and tax credits: Income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment Support Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit.
The Department of Work and Pensions have announced that new single claimants who would otherwise have claimed Jobseekers’ Allowance will be claiming Universal Credit in North Somerset from February 2015.
This means that if you are already receiving Income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment Support Allowance or Income Support you will remain on those benefits. If you are a single person making a new claim as a jobseeker, provided you meet several different conditions, you will be expected to claim Universal Credit.
This may only affect a small number of people initially. However, as Universal Credit will gradually be rolled out to more and more people, we have arranged some training for advisers and support workers to understand the new benefit and the impact on claimants: Training.
For more information on Universal Credit and how it will affect you, follow the links below or use our Advice Directory.
If you want to know more about Universal Credit you might be interested to read further: