Universal Credit concerns

The Upper Bann MLA was commenting after an Audit Office report, warned that the Universal Credit system is causing hardship, has been too slow to roll out and could end up costing more to administer than the benefits system it is replacing.

Mr O’Dowd said: “This is a damning report, however, it is not unexpected given that we have been raising these and a number of other concerns for some time now.

“While the mitigation measures introduced by the previous Executive have gone some way to alleviating some of the worst aspects of Universal Credit, it remains clear that this system is not fit for purpose. It is a policy that is riddled with faults.”