Universal Credit Cuts to Hit North West Hardest

On the day that Universal Credit is rolled out Nationwide, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Owen Smith MP and Debbie Abrahams MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth visited Oldham Foodbank to hear from people already receiving the benefit about the flaws in the system.

Owen Smith accused the Tories of ‘setting up a cruel postcode lottery, with the odds stacked against people in the North West’ in comments on the impact of cuts to Universal Credit in-work support.

“Tory cuts to Universal Credit are set to hammer low and middle paid workers, with 2 million families set to lose an average £1,600 a year and it is working people in the North West of England, who will be hit earliest and hardest. 

“Cuts that take hold from Monday (11 April) to Universal Credit will see some working families £3,000 a year worse off than their neighbours in exactly the same circumstances, who happen to be on Tax Credits.  Over half of all people on Universal Credit live in the North West of England, which means the Tories have set up a cruel postcode lottery, with the odds stacked against people in the region. 

“It’s a disgraceful sleight of hand that the Tories are trying to sneak through these cuts, despite promising to U-turn on their cuts to Tax Credits.  That is why Labour is demanding the Tories drop their Universal Credit cuts that will be so damaging to low and middle paid working families in the North West.”

Images: Owen Smith MP and Debbie Abrahams MP