A “wicked benefit” hitting society’s most vulnerable or a flawed system in need of reform – these were the two opposing views of the Government’s controversial Universal Credit scheme.

The comments at a recent meeting of the county council’s Local Committee for Copeland came as the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) in Copeland has reported a 178 per cent surge in enquiries compared with the same time last year.

The benefit programme was rolled out as a digital service in November 2016, with Copeland among the first to go live with it.

Julie Routledge, Department for Work & Pensions partnership manager with responsibility for West Cumbria and Barrow, and Copeland’s CAB chief Shelley Hewitson told councillors that the two organisations were now working more closely together than ever before to tackle the crisis.

Universal Credit is now CAB Copeland’s fastest-growing advice issue, with the housing element and council tax arrears among the top issues reported.

And while waiting times have fallen from six to five weeks, delays to benefit payment remains one of the main problems.

Ms Routledge told councillors that the Job Centre paid out 95 per cent of the benefits “on time at the right time”, with most delays caused by an issue with the claim itself.

Since the launch of the ‘Help to Claim’ process in April last year, the CAB in Copeland has assisted 198 clients with over 1,735 issues relating to Universal Credit.

The service has also helped the borough’s residents, including some of its most vulnerable, claim a total of £328,398 in benefit entitlement. But the meeting also heard that the system, despite its flaws, had improved on some aspects of the one it replaced.

Previously, benefit-claimants found themselves in a “cliff-edge” scenario in which they immediately stopped receiving handouts when they found work. But under the present arrangement, they continue to receive financial help until their first payday.

Labour councillor Mike Hawkins, who represents Mirehouse, said many benefit-seekers felt they were “knocking their head against a brick wall”.

He said: “I have called it a wicked benefit in the past and I still think it is wicked benefit.

“I have seen people crying to me because they are forced to use foodbanks: they have had to wait six weeks for pay.

“It’s an extra burden for people who are vulnerable to start with.”

But Conservative councillor Chris Whiteside said there was no such thing as a perfect system.

He said: “It did not come in in a vacuum; it replaced half a dozen previous systems. Universal Credit has problems, but every one of the previous systems had problems.

“Whatever we do, some people will fall through the cracks. What we need to do is identify those cracks and try to close as many of them as possible.

“And having one system replacing six could well mean fewer people fall through the cracks.”

CAB has helped reduce waiting times as well as providing evidence to the DWP to help improve the service.

This included submitting evidence of the hardships experienced by claimants.

Support for people who struggle to fill in the online claim can come into their nearest Job Centre to receive help.

A free helpline and online webchats and home-visiting support are also available.