I have a disability but work part-time. I am paid by my employer for the hours I can work, and have been in receipt of the disability element of working tax credit. Th enabled me to live independently and pay my living costs while coping with the day-to-day restrictions of my disability. Due to a period of illness earlier this year, my hours dropped below 16 a week. Working tax credits payments stopped and I was receiving less than £500 in wages each month. I kept contacting HMRC for an update, and eventually in September someone at HMRC advised me that I was in area of the UK that had had working tax credits replaced by universal credit, (UC) and that I needed to make an application for UC.

I have now made my application for UC and I have waited five weeks for my first payment. I naively imagined that as the one benefit was replacing the other, that they would be of a similar value. I was deeply shocked to discover the UC payment I will receive in October is £98 per month. I have contacted the DWP and discussed this at length with them. I am told that there has been no mistake made and that I should complain to my MP about the UC policy. I am in a financial crisis now that I have not previously experienced. My living costs are the same but my income has decreased by over £300 a month. I am no longer able to afford my rent and bills. I keep my costs low by renting a room in a shared house rather than renting my own dwelling and I was just getting enough money from my wages and working tax credits to pay for my living costs.

I have received no benefits of any kind for July, August and September. There has been no explanation, and no transition period between working tax credit and starting UC, and in fact no information from the DWP at all except when I have made contact with them.

I’m deeply shocked that the government would sanction such a huge decrease in benefit payments. I thought I would not be affected by the change to universal credit. I was wrong. I look forward to taking a stand with everyone else in a similar situation as soon as possible – if I can afford to do so.

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