Flagship Tory benefit Universal Credit is torn apart today in a damning report by the highly-respected National Audit Office.

The spending watchdog found it has not delivered value for money, its rollout has been slower and costlier than promised, and it's caused hardship for many people.

It's a devastating blow to the six-in-one benefit that was announced in 2010 as the pet project of former Tory welfare chief Iain Duncan Smith.

It has since been taken over by a string of Work and Pension Secretaries and now rests in the hands of Tory Esther McVey.

Labour MP Frank Field, who chairs the Work and Pensions Select Committee, today brands the benefit a “shambles, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake”.

And campaigners have used the report to call for reform of the benefit, which has already cost the state £1.9bn to date.

Duncan-Smith demands government puts £2bn into benefits system

Here are 5 of the most devastating findings in the report.

1. A FIFTH of claimants still aren't being paid on time

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Last year along a quarter of new claims were not paid in full on time - a total of 113,000.

And from January to October 2017, 40% of those affected by late payments waited for 11 weeks or more.

A fifth of those with late payments waited almost five months.

But despite improvements, in March this year 21% of new claimants did not receive their full entitlement on time with 13% receiving no payment on time.

The DWP does not anticipate that delays will improve this year, the NAO said.

And the DWP believes it will never achieve 100% payment on time because of the need to verify claimants' eligibility, the NAO warned.

2. It's taking far, far longer than expected

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It's hard to believe it now, but Universal Credit was originally due to be rolled out fully by October 2017.

Yet eight years after it was announced, only around 10% of the final expected caseload are currently claiming Universal Credit.

There have been a string of delays and it's now due to end by March 2022.

3. It's could cost even more than the old system

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The NAO said the system's running costs are currently £699 per claim - against an ambition of £173 by 2024.

And it warned UC may cost more to administer than the system it replaced, which included job seeker's allowance, tax credit and housing benefit.

"Universal Credit has not delivered value for money and it is uncertain that it ever will," the NAO said.

"The project is not value for money now, and that its future value for money is unproven."

4. Its entire selling point could be an empty promise

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Universal Credit was sold to the nation on the basis it will encourage people into work.

That's because it is designed to "make work pay" by ensuring people aren't accidentally penalised for every extra hour they work.

However, the NAO said "we doubt it will ever be possible" for the DWP to measure if Universal Credit has increased the number of people in work.

5. It drives people to food banks - and the DWP's in denial

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Since the introduction of UC there have been increases in rent arrears and the use of food banks, the NAO reported.

The watchdog added private landlords have "become reluctant" to rent homes to people on the flahship benefit.

In three of the four areas the NAO visited that had proper data, foodbank use increased quicker after Universal Credit was rolled out fully.

But the report warned the DWP "does not accept that Universal Credit has caused hardship among claimants".

"The Department has not shown sufficient sensitivity towards some claimants," the NAO said.

"It does not know how many claimants are having problems with the programme or have suffered hardship."

Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, warned the DWP has "shown a lack of regard in failing to understand the hardship faced by some claimants."

But we're so far down the track, there's no way it can stop

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NAO chief Amyas Morse added: "The benefits that it set out to achieve through Universal Credit, such as increased employment and lower administration costs, are unlikely to be achieved.

"Yet the Department has little realistic alternative but to continue with the programme and hopefully learn from past mistakes.”

How have campaigners reacted?

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Critics of the Government's Universal Credit seized on the damning official report to call for reform.

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: "It's no surprise that the National Audit Office has confirmed Universal Credit still isn't working for many people.

"While Universal Credit is working well for some, more than a quarter of a million people are expected to wait longer than five weeks for their first full payment. This puts them at risk of falling behind on bills and getting into debt - a heavy price to pay for a system that isn't working properly."

Alison Garnham, the chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group, said: "The picture the NAO presents is justifiably bleak.

"On the ground, new claimants can't even be sure they will be paid in full and on time, and how many people will be helped into work by the benefit is far from clear.

"There are clearly fundamental design and delivery problems which must be fixed but it has also had its funding dramatically reduced so its capacity to deliver on the original aims has been compromised."

Margaret Greenwood MP, Labour’s Shadow DWP Secretary, called on the government to pause and fix the system.

She said: “The Government has shamelessly ignored warning after warning about the devastating impact their flagship welfare reform has had on people’s lives. It’s because of their failure that people are being forced into debt, rent arrears and to rely on food banks to survive.

“The Conservatives must show some compassion to the people struggling to cope.”

James Taylor, of disability charity Scope, said: "Today's report shines a light on the unfair struggle many disabled people are facing to get the financial support they're entitled to.

"Life is more expensive when you're disabled, and yet disabled people are being hit hardest by delays to payments and other problems.

"Disabled people appear to have been completely overlooked in the design and delivery of Universal Credit."

Imran Hussain of Action for Children, said: "It's clear Universal Credit is failing children and leaving many families on low incomes struggling to keep their heads above water, while offering little or no value for money to the taxpayer."

Dalia Ben-Galim, of Gingerbread, said: "Universal Credit is a complex and frustrating system that leaves single parents struggling to pay rent and put food on the table. Payments are often late and drive people into debt. "

Emma Revie, chief executive of The Trussell Trust, said: "Foodbanks have seen firsthand the impact on people faced with the unavoidable side effect of increasing debt, right at the very moment when there is little or no money coming in at all."

What does the DWP say?

A DWP spokesman said: “Previous administrations poured billions into an outdated system with a complex myriad of benefits, which locked some people into cycles of welfare dependency. Whereas we are building a benefit system fit for the 21st century, providing flexible, person-centred support, with evidence showing Universal Credit claimants getting into work faster and staying in work longer.

“Universal Credit is good value for money and is forecast to realise a return on investment of £34bn over ten years against a cost of £2bn, with 200,000 more people in work.

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“Furthermore 83 per cent of claimants are satisfied with the service and the majority agree that it ‘financially motivates’ them to work.

“As the NAO acknowledges, we have made significant improvements to Universal Credit as part of our ‘listen and learn’ approach to its rollout, and it’s on track to be in all jobcentres nationally by the end of 2018.”