This is the list of documents available for the submission Universal Credit Council notes with serious concern the potential impact of the roll out of Universal Credit in the Falkirk area from March 2018 which will put more local families in debt. There are currently 603 council tenants (737 householders) who are in receipt of Universal Credit. The total rent owed by these tenants has increased by over £130k since they first applied for Universal Credit, mirroring the experience of other Scottish Local Authorities where at least 80% of claimants are in arrears. It is anticipated that around half of all claimants of Universal Credit will be worse off than they would have been on the legacy benefits. Council therefore asks officers to bring a report to the Executive early in the new year indicating the potential impacts on local people, including tenants and on council resources along with interventions that might be put in place to mitigate the impact and prevent homelessness. Proposed by Councillor Meiklejohn.

Click on the links to view the individual documents in PDF format.