Luton South MP calls on the Government to cancel the planned Universal Credit cut.
Rachel Hopkins MP, the Labour MP for Luton South, has called on the Government to cancel its planned cut to Universal Credit set to take place in September. The cut could see families lose £1000 a year.
At the start of the pandemic, the Government announced a £20 per week uplift to Universal Credit to help those on low incomes. The uplift has been extended twice, but on Wednesday 7th July, the Secretary of State for the Department of for Work and Pensions, Therese Coffey, confirmed that the Government will be ending the uplift.
Recent figures show the sharp increase in Universal Credit claimants since the start of the pandemic. The number of claimants in Luton South increased by 146% to 12,862 between February 2020 and March 2021.
Rachel Hopkins MP said:
“Luton South has been especially impacted by the pandemic with the number of claimants rising by over 146% in a year. Thousands of low-income families across Luton are relying on the uplift to put food on the table and money on the meter. Now, some of the lowest paid across Luton South are facing a devastating drop in their income in the middle of a jobs crisis.
It’s time the Government saw sense and cancelled this planned cut. The Government should be supporting those on low incomes through the crisis so they can aid out economic recovery. The uplift should be made permanent and extended to those on legacy benefits.”
Notes for the Editor:
Universal credit statistics
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/universal-credit-statistics-29-april-2013-to-13-may-2021
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/universal-credit-cut-october-coffey-b1879613.html