Universal Credit payments have risen by 6.7 per cent from today but claimants are being “punished” due to changes introduced by the Government. Households on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit could get more than £617 a month with this rate hike but research suggests thousands are at risk of missing out on this benefit boost due to strict new rules. A report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has recommended reforms to the benefit system to address poverty and incentivise work. According to the think tank, the current DWP benefit system is “failing against its…