“Hostile and demeaning” universal credit system worsens physical and mental health, study finds

Universal credit (UC)—the new benefits system which combines six separate welfare benefits into one monthly payment—has a negative impact on the wellbeing, physical, and mental health of those who use it, according to a study in BMJ Open.1

Researchers interviewed 33 claimants with complex needs, disabilities, and health conditions and 37 staff from local government, housing, voluntary, and community sector organisations, and found that both groups reported major …