UNIVERSAL Credit might have had the supposed aim of lifting people out of poverty but instead is leaving people in debt, rent arrears or turning to food banks to survive.

My small team in my Stroud office see evidence of this on a daily basis.

We frequently take calls from people in desperate circumstances following the transfer to UC and have seen the impact on mental and physical health, on family relationships and on children’s education.

Here in Stroud 1,350 households are already receiving UC, with a further 5,200 yet to be transferred.

More than half of the families are working.

My team are not alone in witnessing the human and financial costs of UC.

Former Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and John Major have warned of the impact of the next year’s proposed roll-out, when three million more people are due to be transferred from existing benefits to Universal Credit, with families set to lose up to £2,400 a year.

Citizens Advice, Child Poverty Action, MIND and over 80 disability organisations have warned that the Government’s plans risk pushing thousands of people deeper into poverty.

Many are disabled and most of those are working families; nearly three million children in working households are growing up in poverty.

On Monday, Government minister Esther McVey said she would look again at the timetable for the Universal Credit roll-out.

The Government finally seems to have acknowledged that Universal Credit is not alleviating poverty but increasing it.

Delaying implementation is not a solution.

We cannot continue to treat people like this and the Government must act now to change the fundamental flaws of Universal Credit.