Britain | The new safety net

Britain’s switch to a “universal credit” is not going well

Despite big glitches, the government seems unwilling to change its policy

|BRADFORD

BREXIT may get all the headlines, but for millions of Britons another change is looming which could have an even bigger impact on their lives. By 2022 the government hopes to have fully implemented “universal credit”, the biggest shake-up of the welfare system in decades. One in four households will receive payments under the new regime. Many aims of the scheme are laudable. But it is plagued with problems that could spell trouble for its recipients—and for the government.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “The new safety net”

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From the June 2nd 2018 edition

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