|CRIMSON TAZVINZWA, AIWA! NO!|Universal credit has proved controversial almost from the beginning, with reports of IT issues, massive overspends and administrative problems.

It’s being rolled out across the UK. But now concerns are being raised that 3.2 million working families will lose £48 a week – about £2,500 a year- compared with the old system.

The system has been made significantly less generous since it was announced.

What is it?

Universal credit is a benefit for working-age people, replacing six benefits and merging them into one payment:

• income support
• income-based jobseeker’s allowance
• income-related employment and support allowance
• housing benefit
• child tax credit
• working tax credit

It was designed to make claiming benefits simpler.

A single universal credit payment is paid directly into claimants’ bank accounts to cover the benefits for which they are eligible.

Claimants then have to pay costs such as rent out of their universal credit payment (though there is a provision for people who are in rent arrears or have difficulty managing their money to have their rent paid directly to their landlord)

Universal Credit is a payment to help with your living costs. It’s paid monthly – or twice a month for some people in Scotland.

Whether you can claim Universal Credit depends on where you live and your circumstances.