Universal Credit looks Set To Start In Shotton this Spring.

The Governments much maligned overhaul of the welfare system -Universal Credit, looks set to be launched in Shotton this spring as part of the next phase of planned roll outs.

Universal Credit combines six existing working age benefits into a single payment and is part of the UK Government’s overhaul of the welfare system.

Shotton Job Centre will be the first area in Wales to pilot the scheme. 

Those included in the pilot scheme will be single unemployed people served by the Shotton Job Centre.

Payments will be made direct to claimants.

The Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) who administer the scheme, say the Job centre will initially process around 50 claims a month.

Later in the year the scheme will be extended to include unemployed claimants who have a partner.

Flintshire County Council will be working with the DWP to offer support for vulnerable claimants to make and sustain their Universal Credit claim.

The Council’s Housing Benefits team will also be supporting those with complex housing benefit cases.

In November last year the Citizens advice warned Too little has been done to prepare claimants for a new benefit system.

The Citizens Advice warning came after a survey found almost half felt unready to claim online and 22% did not have the right banking facilities.

The charity said conversations with more than 1,000 clients in affected parts of the country exposed a dramatic lack of help for people struggling to cope with the shake-up.

More than one in five did not have access to direct debits and bill payments and other banking services needed to claim the new payments, they found.

Some 49% said they would struggle with online forms – with 47% having no home internet.

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