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Over a million Universal Credit claimants had money regularly deducted during first lockdown
Child Poverty Action Group research finds close to two thirds of UC claimants were living on less than they need

MORE than one million people who claimed benefits during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic are having money regularly deducted from their payments, new research has found.

Nearly two thirds — or 63 per cent — of people who claimed for universal credit (UC) between March and June are living on less than they are assessed to need due to the deductions, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) said.

This compares to 1.85m claimants with deductions made by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) while receiving UC in August – 41 per cent of the total.

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