The Universal Credit uplift, introduced in response to the Coronavirus pandemic in April 2020, was formally withdrawn on 6 October 2021. Over the course of the next five weeks claimants saw this reflected in their Universal Credit payments. Two months on, the reality of this for claimants has set in and at CAP, we have begun to see evidence of the devastating impact this has had for millions of people across the UK. A survey of 624 people receiving debt help from CAP, conducted between 8 and 25 November 2021, found that more than half (54%) of clients whose payments reduced when the uplift was removed have already experienced at least one form of financial hardship — either falling behind with bills, going without essentials or falling into more debt. And 12% had already experienced all three of these. Read the full results in the briefing below.
