Today’s report gives findings from the first independently-funded research to focus on couples on Universal Credit in particular, based on in-depth interviews with claimants over time. Social security should provide real security...[but] We found the assumptions behind Universal Credit often did not fit the realities of claimants' lives, especially for couples. And many couples with no one in work struggled with inadequate income levels, especially if they were young or had deductions from their Universal Credit for debts. ‘We found the assumptions behind Universal Credit often did not fit the realities of claimants' lives, especially for couples. Rather than helping people to stay in work and increase their hours, the Universal Credit rules could make this more difficult.
