Universal Credit's role in 'divided' rural Yorkshire communities

Universal Credit could be amplifying divisions within rural communities, according to frontline workers helping those on the breadline in the Yorkshire Dales.
The Craven District Council area was one of the first in the UK to move over to the flagship benefit in ‘full service’, and charities locally have linked it to a rise in food bank use and increased stress on those receiving it, while farmers remain nervous about its impact on the self-employed.
Phil Sage, manager of Skipton Food Bank, sees Universal Credit as another issue behind a crisis in rural living which includes families priced... read more