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The advertising watchdog has launched a formal investigation into DWP adverts extolling the virtues of Universal Credit .

The Advertising Standards Authority has written to the government to probe whether the adverts break rules on misleading content.

It comes after the watchdog received 43 complaints about the "deliberately misleading" promotions, including one from the Disability Benefits Consortium of 80 charities.

The weekly 'advertorials' in the Metro newspaper began in May and were signed off by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

An internal DWP memo said the campaign would combat "negativity and scaremongering" that discourages people from accessing help.

However, the DBC’s complaint said the adverts are “deliberately misleading” and contain “obvious exaggerations”.

The Zacchaeus 2000 Trust (Z2K) and Motor Neurone Disease Association also complained.

The ASA confirmed today that it is investigating the adverts on four grounds:

Whether they were obviously identifiable as marketing;

Whether the claim "MYTH Universal Credit doesn’t work, FACT It does. People move into work faster on Universal Credit than they did on the old system" was substantiated.

Whether the claim "MYTH You have to wait 5 weeks to get any money on Universal Credit FACT If you need money, your jobcentre will urgently pay you an advance" was misleading by omitting details that advances have to be paid back.

Whether the claim “MYTH Universal Credit makes it harder to pay your rent on time FACT Your Jobcentre can give you an advance payment and pay rent directly to landlords” was misleading by omitting key restrictions in the benefit.

Both the Metro newspaper and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have been invited to give further information.

Z2K said the "highly damaging" adverts could lead people to make the wrong decisions.

Chief executive Raji Hunjan said: “These ads must be withdrawn with immediate effect.

"People are entitled to receive the information they need to make informed decisions and not be deceived by promotional material that cannot be easily identified as DWP propaganda”.

One DWP advert said it's a "myth" Universal Credit “doesn't work", adding: "It does."

But the DBC complaint stated: “These statements omit the thousands of claimants universal credit does not ‘work for’ but instead has driven them into debt, rent arrears, foodbanks, and homelessness.”

Another segment said it's a "myth" that "you have to wait 5 weeks to get any money on Universal Credit", when Jobcentres can "urgently pay you an advance."

But the DBC’s complaint said: “It is not clear that an advance must be paid back.

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“The advert omits that these advances are taken out of future payments and have to be paid back over several months.”

DWP officials have previously refused to say what the campaign cost, instead saying a summary will be published in due course.

They insisted the adverts were clearly labelled as such. A DWP spokesman said: “We have consulted the Advertising Standards Authority throughout the partnership and our advertorials reflect their advice.”