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Leaders of the UK’s devolved nations call for last minute U-turn on Universal Credit cut

03 Oct 2021 3 minute read
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Leaders of the UK’s devolved nations have written to Boris Johnson urging him to reverse the decision to cut the £20 Universal Credit uplift.

The letter signed by Mark Drakeford, Nicola Sturgeon, Paul Givan and Michelle O’Neill calls the move short sighted and without rationale, withdrawing crucial support at a time when people are facing an unprecedented squeeze on their household budgets.

The letter states: “Your Government is withdrawing this lifeline just as the country is facing a significant cost-of-living crisis. This winter millions of people are facing an untenable combination of increases to the cost of food and energy, rising inflation, the end of the furlough scheme, and an imminent hike to National Insurance contributions.”

As well as opposition from elected members from the four nations, they add: “The four Children’s Commissioners of each nation, numerous charities and faith groups have also expressed their grave concerns as have millions of people who face additional and unnecessary hardship because of this cut to Universal Credit against the backdrop of a winter of hardship.

“Research by the Resolution Foundation and the Trussell Trust has highlighted the significant and devastating impact the cliff-edge withdrawal of the £20-a-week uplift to Universal Credit will have on family incomes, with an associated rise in food insecurity.

“It makes no sense at all to knowingly pursue a policy that will result in this immense and needless rise in child poverty.

“Years of a freeze on benefits means Universal Credit has not kept pace with rising living costs. Further to this, rising inflation means that a basic rate of Universal Credit after this cut will hold less purchasing power than it did in March 2020.”

Perfect storm

The UK Government confirmed in August that it would remove the £20 increase, introduced at the start of the Covid pandemic, in October, leaving struggling families £1,040 a year worse off.

It admits a risk assessment has not been carried out into the impact of scrapping the uplift and removing it is predicted to have severe repercussions for some of the poorest families in Wales.

Last month Wales TUC warned that an estimated 280,000 people will be made worse off.  The TUC’s research also suggests that more than a third (37.1 per cent) of those hit in Wales will be working families – many of them key worker households.

Earlier this week Plaid Cymru MP Ben Lake warned that Wales was heading into a “perfect storm of catastrophes” with the cut coming at the same time as furlough ending and fuel and  food costs rising, while Heledd Fychan MS said the the loss of £20 represented an unacceptable choice between food and heat.

Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt has condemned the planned cut to the Universal Credit uplift  as “indefensible and frankly deplorable”.


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Welsh_Sion
Welsh_Sion
3 years ago

Do we expect a Prime Minister who is not interested in life expectancy or cancer results to listen to some political pygmies on his peripheraries (as he sees them)? When has he listened to anyone – other than his inner voice to become ‘king of the world’? Two points of order in the article however: 1 “As well as opposition from elected members from the four nations …” There is no leader from the fourth nation – England. Mark Drakeford AS/MS represents us; Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Scotland; Paul Givan MLA and Michelle O’Neill MLA jointly for Northern Ireland. There is… Read more »

BERYL RICHARDS
BERYL RICHARDS
3 years ago

These people are self serving, cruel, amoral and don’t give a monkeys chuff about anyone. no humanity the totally unacceptable face of capitalism.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
3 years ago

You find populists always promise the easy things and sidestep the difficult questions. We have a situation now where millions on Universal Credit in the most deprived areas of Wales will lose £80 per month, add end of furlough and the pending rise in income tax including other stealth taxes yet to be devulged by the Tories but alluded to by their cult leader Boris Johnson today, will push millions further into a spiral of depression & despair. Let them eat cake, he says. And add insult to injury. Heared today at the Tory party conference protagonist WS Paul Hart… Read more »

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