UK charities warn of poverty risks in Universal Credit reform

More than 40 charitable organisations have issued a warning to UK ministers regarding proposed changes to health-related Universal Credit for individuals under the age of 22. The proposal, which originated under the previous government, suggests delaying access to the health element of the benefit until claimants reach age 22.

Charities including Action for Children, Shelter, the Trussell Trust, Scope, Save the Children, and Barnardo’s have written to Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden and welfare adviser Alan Milburn. The groups described the proposed reforms as “punitive” and argued that welfare changes should prioritize helping young people enter education and employment rather than reducing financial support.

Research by the charity Scope indicates that if the support were removed, 94% of households with a young person under 22 receiving the health element would be in poverty. Currently, 49% of these households are already living in poverty, and the removal of the benefit could push an additional 45% below the poverty line. As of March, approximately 184,000 people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were receiving this specific element of Universal Credit.