Benefits and work

Welfare is the largest advice area we deliver at Citizens Advice. This gives us some of the clearest insights into the way welfare provision works and the challenges it poses. Our research draws upon our data and expertise to make the case for a system which is more responsive to the needs and circumstances of its users.

We work across 6 core areas:

• The design and adequacy of the Universal Credit system, as millions of people migrate from legacy benefits to the new benefit. We have addressed ongoing problems such as the value of housing and childcare cost support, deductions from monthly Universal Credit payments, and the management and impact of benefit suspensions.

• The operation and future of health disability benefits, specifically Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit health elements. We advocate for improved claims and assessment processes, and are assessing the government's reform agenda which may result in narrower eligibility for support, a less accessible claims process, and stricter expectations around searching for work.

• The barriers to work faced by disabled people and people with long-term health conditions. We seek to understand all the factors that finding and sustaining good work challenge for some people.

• The effectiveness of conditionality and sanctions and the impact of these on Universal Credit claimants. This is in the context of increasing numbers of claimants becoming subject to conditionality requirements. We are considering how the role of job centres in benefits compliance and employment support can be improved.

• The operation and future of crisis support. We are assessing rising demand for schemes such as the Household Support Fund, and considering how local welfare provision can be designed, funded and delivered in future.

• Health inequalities: we are working with the Health Foundation to understand the multiple factors that shape health outcomes for the people support, and the role that advice services could play in this regard.

We have also looked at wider welfare issues, such as Council Tax Support provision and the government's child poverty strategy.