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Linda McAuley champions the cause of consumers in Northern Ireland.

Linda McAuley champions the cause of consumers in Northern Ireland, helping them to solve their problems, make the right choices and avoid the pitfalls.

Linda McAuley champions the cause of consumers in Northern Ireland, helping them to solve their problems, make the right choices and avoid the pitfalls - contact the show with your consumer and benefits queries:

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On Your Behalf: Is Universal Credit A Universal Problem? And Belfast Citizens Advice Want You!

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21/10/2017

Is Universal Credit A Universal Problem? And Belfast Citizens Advice Want You!

BBC Radio Ulster - On Your Behalf, Is Universal Credit A Universal Problem? And Belfast Citizens Advice Want You!

Universal Credit is now moving across Northern Ireland but will it work?

Universal Credit is moving across Northern Ireland but the experience with it in England has set alarm bells ringing. The Law Centre NI and Belfast Citizens Advice are in studio.

It has now been a month since Universal Credit was introduced in Limavady and it has reached Ballymoney and is due to move across Northern Ireland over the next ten months. According to the government it has been designed to simplify benefits from six into one and make work pay. However, the experience in England has set alarm bells ringing - the length of the waiting time from when you can claim until you can get the money and there are many stories of people getting further into debt. Spokespersons from both the Law Centre NI and Belfast Citizens Advice will be live in studio to discuss Universal Credit becoming a potential universal problem.

Also, Linda visited the Belfast Citizen Advice offices this week to speak to volunteers - with Universal Credit looming they need to recruit more volunteers now. Linda asks what motivates people to volunteer, and what the volunteer will get out of it. We hear from Carol who has been a volunteer with them for just 18 months.and Margaret, who's been volunteering for 25 years. 

And we hear from Roy, who hasn't been able to get out of the house since January because despite having the medical forms, he is still waiting to get his driving licence renewed so he can get back behind the wheel and regain his independence.

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