WHAT else will it take to convince the Chancellor to change his mind ?

In March 2020 claimants in receipt of Universal Credit were awarded a £20 uplift payment during the pandemic.

The number of universal credit claimants has spiralled in the past year, currently the total is 5.8 million and rising with many households relying on the £20 uplift to buy food, clothing and utilities. The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, plans to cut the £20 extra benefit on the 31st March 2021.

Several organisations have campaigned to reduce the anxiety of claimants who fear a return to hardship and poverty after April. The Chancellor was asked to retain the £20 extra benefit and extend it to claimants receiving legacy benefits. This was particularly pertinent as most people claiming legacy and related benefits are disabled, carers or have a long term illness and have not seen any increases in their income.

The plan is still to remove the £20 uplift on 31 March.

A majority vote by MPs to retain and extend the UC uplift was deemed ‘ non binding' as an overwhelming number of Conservative MPs abstained.

The plan is still to cut the extra benefit by March 31 despite several groups such as Citizens Advice warning that not maintaining the uplift would push those not managing into debt,

Modelling carried out by Policy in Practice suggests that if the uplift was withdrawn, 683,000 households, including 824,000 children, would no longer be able to afford to meet their essential needs.

Please e-mail or write to your MP to ask the Chancellor to reconsider and retain £20 uplift payment to UC claimants and to extend the payment to those claimants on legacy benefits.

Gwen Vardigans,

Unite Community York,

Carron Crescent,

York