Universal Credit: The scheme faces difficulties that must be resolved before it is rolled out

Nigel Keohane examines the government’s Universal Credit scheme and points out five areas of concern. He argues that it will make budgeting on low incomes very difficult, that monthly payments in arrears will risk indebtedness, and that the reform of Council Tax Benefit will play havoc with the scheme. Also, bringing those in part-time work into the conditionality regime will be difficult in practice and the question of how so-called ‘passported benefits’ such as free school means and free prescriptions will be treated is unresolved.