The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITFG) along with the London Advice Services Alliance (LASA) have designed a web tool to enable people to easily see whether they can submit a claim for universal credit in their postcode area.

The tool also allows people to check whether they can still claim tax credits and other benefits in their area, as well as what stage the change to universal credit is at for existing claimants.

Universal credit will eventually replace child tax credit and working tax credit and benefits such as the income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, income support and housing benefit.

The web tool is part of the revenuebenefits.org.uk website, funded by HMRC, which provides detailed information for advisers and claimants on the changeover to universal credit for people who currently claim tax credits.

Anthony Thomas, chairman of LITRG, said: ‘Universal credit has a complicated roll-out that is progressing slowly and it can be confusing for both claimants and advisers to understand how new and existing claimants will be affected in the short term. We hope our web tool will aid people who may be anxious about the changes.

‘To complicate matters further, two different systems are running alongside each other, and the rules about who can claim universal credit are different under each. As the full digital service rolls out, HMRC will no longer accept tax credit claims for people under state pension credit age in certain areas.’