Recommendation 4

We also heard evidence which suggests that people on Universal Credit are more likely to have rent arrears than people still claiming legacy benefits. The Department’s own data show that, while some people who come onto Universal Credit have pre-existing rent arrears, the level of these arrears rises much more sharply after they make their claim. Even after a year, they have not fully returned to their pre-claim levels. That too is a worrying finding which deserves investigation by DWP.