Universal Credit in Northern Ireland: what will its impact be, and what are the challenges?

This is the first of two reports examining welfare reform and poverty in Northern Ireland, funded through a research call from OFMdFM in its remit as the department with policy responsibility for equality and social need in Northern Ireland.

A subsequent report will produce projections of poverty rates for children and working age adults in Northern Ireland from 2010 to 2020 and investigate how these are affected by tax and benefit reforms, particularly Universal Credit.