CITIZENS Advice York says four in five clients claiming Universal Credit have reported difficulty in paying their rent and buying food whilst waiting for their first payment.

Research by 16 CAB offices including York has shown that a key problem for people receiving the new benefit is managing until the first payment comes through.

A joint report, Waiting for Credit, says about one in ten of all Citizens Advice clients in England and Wales who had been given advice about Universal Credit were interviewed for the research, and representatives of the 16 local offices have talked to MPs and peers about the issues.

It said the system assumed claimants would have their final month’s wages to live off whilst waiting six weeks for their first payment of Universal Credit.

“However the research revealed that about six in ten of Citizens Advice clients who had claimed Universal Credit because they had just lost their job had been paid weekly or fortnightly,” it said.

“Not only had they struggled to pay essential costs whilst trying to make one week's wages last for six weeks, many reported that this period had tipped them into debt and made looking for work more difficult. Advance payments (loans of benefit) were only able to help some people.”

But the report said three in ten had still not received payment after six weeks and one in 10 had waited more than two months for their first payment, and many others had only received partial payment when their first payment was due.

“A number of administrative problems caused these delays. For example - more than half of all clients in the survey had been asked to provide documents that had already been provided and scanned into the DWP system. IT problems also played their part.”

Tony Lindsay, of Citizens Advice York, said: “We agree that the benefits system needs simplifying and we support Universal Credit and its aims. However Universal Credit will not achieve its aims unless the problems identified in this report are resolved.”

A DWP spokesman said: “This research is based on anecdotal evidence from a tiny, self-selecting sample of less than 1% of current Universal Credit claimants. As CAB themselves say, it is not representative of all claimants of Universal Credit.

“The reality is that Universal Credit is simplifying the welfare system to make work pay and is already transforming hundreds of thousands of lives.

“Universal Credit claimants are moving into work faster and staying in work longer, and the new welfare system will ensure three million of the poorest households will be better off.”