THOUSANDS of benefits claimants in Barrow could find themselves unable to seek help for claiming Universal Credit after the council refused to provide support services.

Universal Credit is due to come into force in Barrow from December 2018. The new benefit will combine existing benefits into one single payment.

Barrow Borough Council has accused the Department for Work and Pensions of "vastly underestimating the number of claimants and support need" and said the DWP is offering a grant which would only represent half of the investment needed to provide a quality support service.

The authority has joined forces with a number of other district councils, who are tasked with providing the support services, and told the government it will not cooperate.

The leader of the council, Councillor Dave Pidduck, said: "Barrow Borough Council will continue to support low income families through all means available but we will not support provision of sub-standard advice services.

"I would like to place on record my thanks to local partners that have taken the courageous step of signing a joint statement and taken a principled stand that they will not be party to poor quality services that are more about ticking off numbers rather than genuinely seeking to assist those in greatest need."

What is Universal Credit?

Universal Credit is a payment which helps with living costs and is paid monthly - or twice a month for some people in Scotland.

People who are on a low income or out of work could claim for it but this depends on where you live and on your circumstances.

If you are already in receipt of Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Working Tax Credit you will soon switch to Universal Credit, which will replace your current benefit(s).

Universal Credit has been being introduced across the UK in various stages, to ensure a smoother transition for recipients.

You don’t need to do anything until you hear from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about moving to Universal Credit, unless you have a change in circumstances.