We had great attendance at our recent event on Universal Credit (UC), which is the Government’s radical new approach to benefits for people of working age.  It brings together 6 separate benefits for people who are in and out of work including Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).  During the autumn first time claimants for benefits such as Housing Benefit and Tax Credit as well as Jobseekers Allowance and ESA will now be required to claim UC.  At a later stage existing claimants for these individual benefits will be transferred to UC.

Universal Credit is designed with a number of features to prepare people for work; it has to be claimed on-line, it is paid only 5 weeks after the claim is lodged, and claimants have to complete regular reports on their activities and changes in their circumstances (this includes people in the Support Group on ESA who are deemed unfit for work).

Resources from the event are available below:

Universal credit – DWP presentation 1

Latest changes to Universal Credit – DWP presentation 2

Universal credit in South Gloucestershire – SGC presentation

Citizen’s Advice South Gloucestershire presentation