FOUR out of 10 benefit claimants are unaware of the details of the Coalition's landmark Universal Credit reforms, a charity warns today.

Turn2US, a group which says it helps people access the welfare they are entitled to, said there was real uncertainty and con-fusion about the major welfare change.

Coming into effect in October, it will result in Universal credit replacing income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits and Housing Benefit.

Last week, Labour claimed the UK Government's flagship welfare reform policy was in crisis when it emerged three of the four planned pilot schemes for Universal Credit in northern England would not start in April but in July instead.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) insisted this would enable safe and controlled testing and the UK-wide launch would still go ahead in the autumn.

The charity said its research among claimants found 43% were unaware of the timetable for the phasing in of Universal Credit and 77% of those who were aware said they did not know how or when this would start to affect their benefits.

Its research also indicated 29% of claimants were worried the move to monthly pay- ments under Universal Credit would mean they could get into debt.

More than 1000 benefit claimants with annual incomes of £20,000 or less took part in the research, which was conducted last month.

Alison Taylor, the director of Turn2Us, said: "Our latest research findings have confirmed what we have been hearing from the people who we help for a number of months.

"There is real uncertainty, confusion and concern over the forthcoming changes.

"This is despite the fact there has been much work by the Government to simplify the system.

"It is vital people are armed with information that's easy to understand and tailored to their situation."

Universal Credit is being phased in over a four-year period and will cover eight million households across Britain.

The UK Government's aim is to simplify the system and make it more cost-effective to run, as well as easier for people to return to work.

A DWP spokeswoman said: "Our welfare reforms will bring much-needed fairness back to a benefits system that is so complex it's failing the very people it is supposed to help.

"We are working with councils and housing associations as our welfare reforms are being introduced to ensure people that need help get it.

"We're contacting everyone affected to let them know about the changes and as they affect them."

The Chancellor yesterday spoke to workers in a Morrisons distribution depot in Sittingborne, Kent.

He warned critics of welfare changes they were "out of touch" with ordinary families whose taxes paid for the benefits system.

Labour, however, said millions of low and middle-income families were now paying the price for the failure of the Government's economic policies.

He made his comments in a speech set against the backdrop of the supermarket's cavernous warehouse, with the staff lined in rows before him.

He later drank tea in a canteen with some of the staff.

The venue rekindled memories of Prime Minister David Cameron and his LibDem deputy Nick Clegg's joint speech in which they renewed their Coalition partnership in a speech before workers at a factory in Harlow, Essex, last year.

Claimants can find out more about the Government's reforms at www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/welfare-reform/universal-credit/toolkit.shtml.