It is widely assumed that leaving the European Union without an agreement about what happens next would deliver a body blow to the British economy and do most harm, inevitably, to those least able to handle the consequences. But people at the bottom of the economic ladder, measured by income, face a far more substantial threat to their wellbeing – regardless of Brexit. The Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed that the acceleration of the rollout of the Universal Credit system which had been due to start in July 2019 has been delayed until November. Nevertheless, by the end of next year poor families, typically a single parent in part-time work or one coping with a disabled family member, may find their weekly income falling by as much as £50 a week.