A disabled woman is worried she will be worse off as millions of people are switched onto Universal Credit from so-called 'legacy benefits'.
The government this week restarted its programme of shifting Brits onto Universal Credit from older benefits .
These include income-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Jobseeker’s Allowance, tax credits , Income Support and Housing Benefit.
These benefits are eventually being phased out as part of a Conservative plan to replace them with one benefit - Universal Credit.
Many benefits claimants fear they will get less as a result.
One such claimant worried about the future is Hannah Deakin, 31, a finance administrator who works 10 hours a week.
Deakin, a wheelchair user, currently gets ESA and Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
She said: "It is another uncertain stress as I don't know whether I will be better or worse off, and whether I will have enough money to live on. Being disabled, living costs are already a lot higher.
"It would be reassuring to know, but currently I don't know. I have tried to speak to many people but nobody seems to really know whether I will be worse or better off."
Deakin said disabled benefits claimants were lucky to have specialised benefits such as ESA and PIP.
She added: "It helps a lot but I think it could be improved a lot and made simpler to understand and access.
"I think that the move from DLA to PIP has caused a lot of stress and anxiety as well as trauma to many disabled people and their families. The whole situation seemed quite badly handled. I hope that the government have learnt from this.
"I think potentially a tapered system would work encouraging people to work, if they are able to, but not making them worse off. But at the same time not penalising those who are unable to work due to their disabilities or illness."
Deakin added that having dedicated benefits for disabled people is better than the 'one-size-fits-all' system of Universal Credit.
She said: "I believe having a separate disability legacy benefit like ESA is better rather than lumping everyone who is unemployed together who have very different needs and reasons for their unemployment.
"I have found negotiating the benefits system challenging, a battle and a fight. When you become disabled you know nothing and you have to navigate through this complex system."
Deakin said she fears "there will be bigger battles to come" as disabled people switch to Universal Credit, particularly if government staff do not take their needs into account.
She added: "I worry whether, as Universal Credit is for the unemployed in general rather than disabled and chronically ill people, whether I might be pushed towards working more when currently it would be too much for me."
James Taylor, director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said: “This is a bad move at a terrible time and hundreds of thousands of disabled people are in the firing line. It means that as costs ramp up, support slides down.
“The move to Universal Credit will see the value of the severe disability premium decrease over time - while spiralling living and energy costs are heaping more pressure on disabled people.
“People who receive the severe disability premium, have some of the highest support needs and extra costs. On top of facing the five-week wait for Universal Credit, those affected could be penalised because of changes out of their control such as their rent increasing, or their health deteriorating."
