THE reviled universal credit system is leaving hundreds of thousands of people facing hunger and hardship and needs “urgent action” from the government in its October Budget, the Trussell Trust has said today.

New research by the anti-poverty charity found that the failed system leaves almost half of its recipients running out of food and 1.6 million have been driven to use foodbanks in the last 12 months.

Universal credit was introduced by the Tory-Lib Dem government in 2013 to replace six benefit payment categories.