Latest figures have revealed that hundreds of Swindon residents have been stripped of their benefits during the ongoing switch to Universal Credit.
Universal Credit is a type of benefit which was first introduced in 2013 in an attempt to simplify the benefits system by replacing several pre-existing benefits with one.
The idea was that people receiving Jobseekers' Allowance, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit among others would gradually be transferred to Universal Credit instead, with all of the previous 'legacy' benefits being redundant by 2029.
However, figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that payments to many people receiving these legacy benefits were stopped completely, instead of being moved to the new system.
In Swindon, around 2,240 migration notices (which tell a person on legacy benefits that they must move over to Universal Credit) were submitted between July 2022 and March 2023.
Of these notices, approximately 650 (29 per cent) cases were closed, resulting in someone losing their benefits.
The gradual migration to Universal Credit has caused financial stress for hundreds of Swindon residents. (Image: Image: Getty)Anti-poverty charity Turn2Us has now come forward to say that it is "deeply concerned" that hundreds of thousands of people across Britain have lost support as they move from legacy benefits to Universal Credit.
"It is vital the process of contacting and supporting these people is not rushed, ensuring they are given adequate time, accessible information and personalised support to move over to Universal Credit," said Claire Atchia McMaster, director of income and external affairs at Turn2Us.
"Disruption to benefits payments alongside the five-week wait for Universal Credit could cause serious harm to their finances and lives."
Across Britain, 22 per cent of existing claimants had been stripped of their benefits between July 2022 and March 2023.
The DWP initially estimated that only three per cent of households would lose their benefits when transferring to Universal Credit.
However, it later adjusted this figure to 26 per cent of tax credit-only households and four per cent of those receiving legacy benefits.
A DWP spokesperson said: "The majority of tax credit claimants have successfully moved to Universal Credit.
"Our statistics show that only 30 people logged complaints while over half a million households had been invited to move to Universal Credit by the end of March.
"There is a range of support available to help people move, including extensions for those who need extra support."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel