Half of those on universal credit are losing part of their payments due to automatic deductions by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), according to recent research by the New Economics Foundation (NEF).

Claimants are losing £1 in every £13 of their basic payment to repay debts to private landlords, utility companies, and to correct mistakes made by the tax office.

Each household with money deducted lost an average of £63 a month, amounting to a total loss of £1.3 billion from…