Residents in the Newcastle readying for Universal Credit

Early in 2015, the new Universal Credit government benefit scheme will be in place in the North East, including in Newcastle City as well as the East as West. The DWP Jobcentres will be signing new claimants up and partnering with agencies on offering advice for budgeting and other support services. So even though it was originally scheduled to occur in 2013, the roll out will finally take place in the area and will start for single job seekers, with others coming on board later.

The process will start in January, and will the rollout in Newcastle will be completed by April. More North East cities and districts will continue to be included throughout 2015, and people on a low income should plan for this new system now. So while the target is in place, many deadlines have been missed nationally by the government in the past.

Since the programme merges six benefit payments into one, families will need to plan the payment of their bills more closely. Claimants will get one monthly cheque instead of several fortnightly ones, so there is a timing issue. This is why budgeting money will be key to a claimant being successful.

Claimants are finding work in Newcastle

It is also a means tested scheme, and Universal Credit will encourage people to find work. If they do have a job, they will be able to earn more from this programme. So this is one reason the government created this scheme, in an effort to break the welfare society in Newcastle City and other counties too.

The DWP continues to say the new benefit has been successful in encouraging people to find work, and also stay on the job, and they make this claim from other areas in the UK that are already on it. Some government studies show more people working after they start the scheme, as they do this as their income will be higher by working and benefiting from the credit.

In fact, according to the Department of Work and Pensions, low income households on Universal Credit spend more than 200 per cent of time on finding work, and this is compared to those that are the Jobseeker’s Allowance. So the difference is tremendous.

Other studies show the new Universal Credit is easier to understand, and they know exactly how much they will receive from the government. It is also becoming more widely known that the more they work, then the higher their income can be. So people in Newcastle can expect to see a simpler system in place that makes it easier for them to find a job.