Labour to Force Vote To Stop Universal Credit Cut Which Risks Pushing 200,000 Children Into Poverty

UNIVERSAL CREDIT - Amid the fiasco regarding school meals will be a vote on Monday regarding Universal Credit. 

Labour will force a vote in the House of Commons on Monday demanding that the Government scraps its planned cut to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits that will see families lose over £1000 a year.

This follows the Prime Minister’s appearance at the Liaison Committee yesterday where he confirmed that he still intends to cut Universal Credit by £20 a week, or £1040 a year, for 6 million families in April. The cut is equivalent to the cost of an average family’s annual electricity, gas and internet bills combined.

Labour has repeatedly called for the Prime Minister to change course and provide certainty to millions of struggling families who face a triple blow of council tax hikes, frozen pay and a cut to Universal Credit.

Child Poverty Action Group have stated that the £20 uplift is essential to ensure “low-income families with children receive the support they need”. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has warned that the cut could see another 200,000 children pushed into poverty.

Jonathan Reynolds MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said: 

“Under the Conservatives, families come last. The government’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic means Britain is facing one of the worst recessions of any major economy. Boris Johnson’s decision to cut Universal Credit will hit millions of families who are already struggling to get by.

“There cannot be another repeat of the government’s indecision and mismanagement of the free school meals scandal. The government must put families first during this lockdown and act now instead of waiting until the last minute.

“If ministers refuse, Conservative MPs have to opportunity to vote with Labour and give families the support they need to get through this pandemic.”The Opposition Day debate motion, tabled today, is as follows:

 Keir Starmer

Jonathan Reynolds

Anneliese Dodds

Angela Rayner

Bridget Philipson

Mr Nicholas Brown

Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit

That this House believes that the Government should stop the planned cut in Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit in April and give certainty today to the six million families for whom it is worth an extra £1,000 a year.

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