Universal Credit is making Brits ill and damaging mental health, GPs warn

UNIVERSAL Credit is harming Brits' health, GPs have warned.

The botched rollout of the new benefits system is reportedly affecting the physical and mental condition of claimants.

One GP said he sees a new patient every day who's suffering after being left cashless thanks to UC.

The Sun is currently campaigning for ministers to fix the problems with the new system.

Universal Credit, which wraps six benefits into one, is designed to be a simpler way of getting the cash you're entitled to.

But many claimants have been left with no money for weeks at a time because of delays when they switch over to UC.

Gateshead GP Mark Dornan said he sees a large number of patients with health problems linked to worries over benefits.

He told the Newcastle Chronicle: "Often the people with the hardest lives are on the new benefit or having problems with it.

"You see people getting into debt when they're between payments or there's been a hold up with their income and that leads to stress, which has a big knock on effect on people's mental and physical health.

"I work in a deprived part of Gateshead and our surgery is seeing at least one person a day where the Universal Credit system is playing a role in their ill health."

Newcastle City Council chief Nick Forbes added: "It is clearly bad for your health."

Ministers are under pressure to reduce the waiting period which sees often claimants going penniless while switching from the old benefits to UC.