Universal Credit is a new single benefit that merges six income-replacement benefits. The following benefits and tax credits are ending and being replaced by Universal Credit:

• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Universal Credit has been introduced to help simplify the benefit system and give claimants more control over how their money is budgeted.

How Universal Credit might affect you

• Housing Benefit is being replaced for working age customers. Universal Credit is paid directly to the claimant. This means that under normal circumstances Housing Benefit recipients will no longer have their benefit paid directly to their landlord or receive their benefit in the form of a rent rebate from the Council.
• Under Universal Credit, couples living in the same household will make a joint claim for the benefit payment, meaning they will no longer receive individual payments of money for different needs.
• Unlike the current fortnightly payment of some benefits, Universal Credit will be paid monthly.
• Claimants will be able to make more decisions about how they run their household budgets, and will be responsible for ensuring they can make rent payments.

You can find more information about the move to Universal Credit on the Gov.uk campaign website.

More information about Universal Credit is also available on the Gov.uk website - Universal Credit.