Flawed algorithm used to determine UK welfare payments is ‘pushing people into poverty’

A flawed algorithm that determines the social security benefits received by people in the UK is causing hunger, debt, and psychological distress, Human Rights Watch has warned. The model calculates the benefits people are entitled to each month based on changes in their earnings. But Human Rights Watch discovered a defect in the system. The algorithm only analyzes the wages people receive within a calendar month, and ignores how often they’re paid. This means that people who receive multiple paychecks in a month — a common occurrence in irregular and low-paid work — can have their earnings overestimated and their payments…

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