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Two Conservative MPs have written to Boris Johnson expressing “very serious concerns” about the impact of the £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit planned for October.
MP for Waveney Peter Aldous and MP for Carlisle John Stevenson have urged the prime minister not to push ahead with the cut, which will wipe £1,040 from the annual incomes of poorer households.
At the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, the government boosted the Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit by £20 a week as millions faced job and income losses.
But ministers have confirmed their intention to scrap the top-up from the end of September.
Mr Aldous and Mr Stevenson’s intervention adds to a growing clamour not to push ahead with the cut, which has included a letter from former Conservative work and pensions secretaries Amber Rudd, Esther McVey, David Gauke, Damian Green, Stephen Crabb and Sir Iain Duncan Smith.
Housing association groups from across the UK have warned against the move, as well as multiple anti-poverty charities.
In their letter yesterday, Mr Aldous and Mr Stevenson said they are “alarmed to see the government unwilling to heed the widespread warnings that are coming from all quarters”.
They told Mr Johnson: “Our central promise at the last election, that you articulated so well, was to level up.
“Infrastructure is a crucial part of this agenda, but with the emphasis solely on eye-catching projects, we are at risk of forgetting the importance of investment in people in these communities, without whom this vision cannot be realised.”
The letter came as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation published analysis showing that 413 parliamentary constituencies across Great Britain will see more than a third of working-age families with children hit by the cut.
Of these, 191 are Conservative – 53 of which have been won since 2019.
Citizens Advice released research today indicating that 2.3 million people will be pushed into debt after paying their essential bills if their benefits drop by £20 a week – including 49% of people in ‘red wall’ areas.
Mr Aldous and Mr Stevenson said the prime minister’s declaration that he would pick work if he had to “choose between jobs and welfare” was “the right approach” but “does not fully reflect the world we live in”.
Their letter argued: “The majority of people who will impacted by this cut to Universal Credit and Working Tax are in fact already in work.
“We could see this proportion decreased through reforms to the labour market, but these kinds of changes will take time and will certainly not be in place by the end of next month, when these low-paid, hard-working families will see up to £1,040 slashed from their income.”
They added: “We are concerned that the record job vacancies figures will be used to justify the decision.
“The reality is that many unemployed people in receipt of welfare support face complex situations and are sadly very far from the jobs market at present.”
Making permanent the extra investment in the welfare, which was “rightly made” at the start of the coronavirus crisis, “could be one of our best legacies from the pandemic and can provide the cornerstone of a social security system of which as Conservatives we can be proud”, they said.
A government spokesperson said: “The temporary uplift to Universal Credit was designed to help claimants through the economic shock and financial disruption of the toughest stages of the pandemic, and it has done so.
“Universal Credit will continue to provide a vital safety net and with record vacancies available, alongside the successful vaccination roll-out, it’s right that we now focus on our Plan for Jobs, helping claimants to increase their earnings by boosting their skills and getting into work, progressing in work or increasing their hours.”
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