Half of universal credit claimants ‘lose money through automatic DWP deductions’

Thinktank says 1 lost in every 13 basic payment to repay debts to private landlords and utility firms and correct tax office errors

Half of those on universal credit are losing money on every payment because of automatic deductions by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), according to research.

Claimants are losing 1 in every 13 of basic payment to repay debts to private landlords and utility companies and correct mistakes made by the tax office, said the New Economics Foundation (NEF), a left-leaning thinktank. Each household with money deducted lost an average of 63 a month. This amounted to a total loss of 1.3bn from benefits support in 2022-23, NEF found through a series of parliamentary questions.