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The Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed that it can deduct your Universal Credit payments to pay for five bills if you are in arrears or have been overpaid. Reasons for deductions include for child maintenance payments and to pay for court fines.

Universal Credit is a means-tested benefit that was first introduced in the UK to replace the old benefits in 2013. By 2018, all new customers were required to apply for UC, while existing legacy benefit customers continued receiving their awards.

The Department for Work and Pensions’ strategy for moving remaining households to UC was set out in the department’s Completing the Move to UC policy document , published in April 2022.

When UC was first introduced, it faced backlash due to many claimants being left withou

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