Universal Credit Could Limit Benefit Access

Future access to an array of passported benefits, such as free school meals, legal aid and a range of health measures is under threat from the introduction of Universal Credit, Labour has claimed.  Passported benefits are benefits that people can claim once they are claiming benefits or tax credits including income support, employment support allowance or child tax credits. However, these benefits are being abolished and merged into all-encompassing Universal Credit system. Iain Duncan Smith has said: "It is up to the departments now to decide how they want to do this. It may also be an opportunity for them to do this in a different way. Some have decided they want to do it in a different way, and they will be making that clear."  Labour claimed there was still no clear government strategy about how entitlement to these benefits will be decided and paid in future once Universal Credit is introduced.  Read more on the Guardian website.