RESEARCHERS at the University of York have helped put together a new guide to Universal Credit - just as furlough ends and as thousands more people are expected to claim.

The online guide, written in simple English, aims to take people who may be applying for the benefit for the first time through every step.

It covers everything from whether you are eligible to claim Universal Credit, to how to get through the five weeks before your first payment comes through - and what the 'claimant commitment' you will have to sign is all about.

What makes the new guide different is that it has been put together with the help of claimants themselves - people who have already been through the process of making a claim, and know how difficult and stressful it can be.

Dr Ruth Patrick from the Department of Social Policy and Social Work at the University of York said everything about the new guide was different.

"Official forms can make you feel very alone, very scared," she said. "This is accessible, engaging and friendly. Former claimants talk about the problems they faced when applying - and there are tips about how to avoid these."

Dr Patrick added that with furlough coming to an end, there would inevitably be a rising number applying for Universal Credit - some for the first time.

"This looks set to coincide with the £20 cut to Universal Credit, against a context of rising energy and food prices, making for a difficult winter for many," she said.

"Our hope for the guide is that it will help people apply for the social security support to which they are entitled.”

The furlough scheme, which protected millions of jobs during the pandemic, comes to an end today.

Throughout the pandemic, the government has been paying towards the wages of people who couldn't work, or whose employers could no longer afford to pay them, up to a monthly limit of £2,500.

At first it paid 80 per cent of the wages, but in August and September it paid 60 per cent, with employers paying 20 per cent.

But with the scheme coming to an end, over-50s website Rest Less warns that many people - especially workers over the age of 50 - may find themselves facing redundancy.

Founder Stuart Lewis said: "The jobs market is polarised at the moment. On the one hand, we have record job vacancies and companies struggling to hire talent in key areas, for example HGV drivers and healthcare.

"On the other side, unemployment levels across many age groups have yet to recover. With more than half a million people aged 50 or older still on furlough at the last count, we may well see hundreds of thousands of hardworking, experienced older workers enter redundancy."

In York, 12,574 people claimed Universal Credit last month, up from 12,566 in July. But that may well increase after today.

Emily Andrews, of the Centre for Ageing Better, said: "Throughout the pandemic, over-50s have been hit hard by redundancies, and it's likely that the end of the furlough scheme will be no exception.

"Job losses for this group are particularly worrying, as we know that they are more likely to struggle to get back into work."

The new guide to claiming Universal Credit, which has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, is a joint project between the University of York and Ulster University.

It was put together with the help of a group of Universal Credit claimants living in Northern Ireland. Working closely with the researchers, the group met up in a series of workshops to share their experiences of the benefit.

One key finding from the research project was that participants found Universal Credit confusing and did not know where they could find accessible information.

One of the things that people using the new guide will realise is that people have been through this before, said Dr patrick. "You are not alone."

If you think you may need to claim Universal Credit, you can access the new guide at ucus.org.uk/ucguide