2.8m people with mental health problems fell into council tax debt during pandemic — and need extra support from councils ahead of further rises in bills

A small collection of copper coins in a neat stack upon a table

The new research by Money and Mental Health shows that people with mental health problems have been hit particularly hard financially during the pandemic, with two in five suffering a drop in income, and three in ten cutting back on essentials such as food and heating to make ends last year.

Employers more supportive of caring, but carers still at risk of leaving work unless more measures adopted

72% of unpaid carers worry about juggling work and care
53% of working carers say returning to workplace will be more challenging
12% of working carers are at risk of reducing or giving up work if they are not allowed to work from home
One in five carers at risk of reducing or giving up work without social care

Universal Credit: Health conditions and disability guide

Universal Credit is a monthly payment to help with your living costs. You may be able to get it if you’re on a low income, out of work or unable to work.

Your monthly payment is based on your circumstances, for example, your earnings or household income, housing costs and any health condition or disability you may have.

POLICY BRIEFING – THE PROBLEM WITH UNIVERSAL CREDIT’S ASSESSMENT PERIODS AND HOW TO FIX IT

Universal credit (UC) is paid monthly in arrears. This means UC recipients have their earned income assessed at the end of every monthly ‘assessment period’ to calculate their UC payment. Monthly assessment periods create challenges for working UC claimants who are not paid on exactly the same date each month. Two in five jobs paying less than £200 a week (£10,400 a year) are not paid on a monthly basis.