Nearly 6,000 people were claiming the new universal credit benefit payment at the end of April.
According to Inside Housing:
Department for Work and Pensions statistics showed the government’s progress in rolling out the new benefit, which combines several benefits into one payment paid direct to households.
The DWP figures showed 5,880 people were claiming universal credit in April, while 6,960 claimed at some point between April 2013 and 30 April 2014. Around 60% of the claimants on universal credit are under 25.
This reflects the fact that the benefit was initially only being made available to new claimants who are single, non home-owning, with no children or disabilities. Universal credit is now in some places being rolled out to families.
The new benefit system is opposed by some in the social housing sector because it means social landlords will in most cases no longer receive tenants’ rent money direct. This has led to concerns some tenants may struggle to pay their rent on time, affecting social landlords’ income streams.
Universal credit is expected to eventually be being claimed by 8 million households.
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