Early Roll Out Of Universal Credit

The new Universal Credit - which will replace six income-related benefits from next year - will go live in the Greater Manchester and Cheshire region in April 2013, six months before the national roll-out.  The early roll-out is expected to see up to 1,500 new Universal Credit claimants coming on stream across four Pathfinder areas – Tameside, Oldham, Wigan and Warrington - each month.  It will test the new single benefit payment system - which will be paid monthly and directly to claimants - with local authorities, employers and claimants in a live environment before Universal Credit is rolled out across the country in October 2013. Work will continue over the coming months to ensure that jobcentres, local authorities and employers in the Greater Manchester and Cheshire region are geared up to support the new service ahead of the early roll out in April.  Ministers have also confirmed that Universal Credit will be introduced across Britain, starting on a small scale in every region from October 2013 and building up capacity to April 2014, when all new claims to the current benefits and credits will be entirely phased out.  Read more on the DWP website.