WE applaud the idea of replacing the UK’s complex system of tax credits and benefits with a single payment.

The universal credit now being trialled in the North-West will eventually replace a raft of benefits, including jobseekers allowance, income support, child tax credits, housing benefits and working tax credits.

In theory, a single payment should be easier to manage, encouraging greater personal responsibility and better housekeeping.

However, a monthly payment – as opposed to fortnightly – could well make it harder for people on low pay to manage their cash flow effectively.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith claims the universal credit will also incentivise work over dependency because it will be available (on a tapering scale) to people in work. However, as with so many Government policy initiatives, the devil is in the detail.

Critics say universal credit is a cover for more cuts. Claimants can only apply online and the form, which can take an hour or more to fill in, does not have a save function. People who have no access to a PC are urged to use their local library – but cash-strapped councils are closing libraries.

And the simplification claim is overstated because several benefits will always remain outside the scheme.

Finally, the switch from face-to-face claims handling to online forms and telephone help is overwhelmingly opposed by claimants. An automated tick box help service cannot take into account personal circumstances.

Frustrated claimants will have no option but to seek help elsewhere.

The universal credit could be a force for good – but it will undoubtedly fail if the Government uses it as an underhand way to cut benefits.