The main aspects of the Act are:

• The introduction of Universal Credit to provide a single streamlined benefit that will ensure work always pays
• A stronger approach to reducing fraud and error with toughter penalties for the most serious offences
• A new claimant commitment showing clearly what is expected of claimants while giving protection to those with the greatest need
• Reforms to Disability Living Allowance, through the introduction of the Personal Independence Payment to meet the needs of disabled people today
• Creating a fairer approach to Housing Benefit to bring stability to the market and improve incentives to work
• Driving out abuse of the Social Fund system by giving greater power to local authorities
• Reforming Employment and Support Allowance to make the benefit fairer and to ensure that help goes to those with the greatest need
• Changes to support a new system of child support which puts the interest of the child first

Three key features of the Act are:

• An overall Benefits Cap – this will cap weekly benefits at the level of the average salary of working families from April 2013
• Reduced Housing Benefit for people who live in properties larger than their requirements from April 2013 - working age tenants will be restricted by a size criteria when Housing Benefit is worked out
• Means-tested work replacement benefits such as Income Support, Tax Credits and Housing Benefit, will be replaced by a single monthly payment called Universal Credit. This means housing costs will be included in the credit rather than paid direct to landlords and tenants will be responsible for paying their rent charge themselves from October 2013

Halton Housing Trust have produced a useful video which explains the reforms. You can find the video here.

It is important to note that these three changes will only affect working age applicants and not Pension Credit (guarantee) age.

Working age is classed as those who are not eligible to claim Pension Credit. New and existing claims for benefit from those claimants who are already in receipt of Pension Credit will be unaffected.

For more information on other changes, please click here.  

Doncaster Council have also produced a 'Benefits are Changing' page on their website which has links to other pages and documents such as advice on the Discretionary Housing Payment scheme.