Universal Credit: making it work for supported housing residents

St Mungo’s together with Riverside, YMCA and The Salvation Army have released research, which outlines a number of difficulties our residents face when attempting to make and maintain a claim for Universal Credit.

As a coalition of providers responsible for more than a quarter of supported housing for people with experience of homelessness in the UK, we have set out recommendations to government to help improve vulnerable claimants’ experience of Universal Credit in practice.

Conducted by social security experts, Policy in Practice, the findings are based on interviews with people living in supported housing, support workers, benefit and income advisers, and Work Coaches from Jobcentre Plus.

The research found that residents in supported housing often face challenges in adapting to new processes following periods of homelessness, as well as ongoing problems with mental health and substance use.