‘Removing £20-per-week Universal Credit uplift will push many into debt’

REMOVING the £20-per-week uplift in Universal Credit will force many back into a situation where they struggle to afford food, heating and children’s clothes, according to the umbrella body for housing associations in Wales.

Following an extensive survey of social housing tenants, Community Housing Cymru (CHC) is now calling on the UK Government to retain the additional £20 as a permanent feature of UC for all current and future claimants.

CHC’s report, A Lot To Lose, says the additional sum, added to UC to help people cope during the pandemic, has been transformational for many, making it possible to both pay the bills and put food on the table.

From October the UK

Government plans to remove the extra £20 from UC payments – a decision the report says will leave families once again worrying about making ends meet.

CHC is urging the Department for Work and Pensions to urgently communicate the specific timing of any changes to UC to claimants, as the survey revealed that the majority of tenants who depend on the additional £20 per week were unaware that it was temporary.

CHC chief executive Stuart Ropke said: “Our report lays bare the difference the additional £20 per week has had on people, and is a stark reminder of the realities many face when it comes to the choice between paying bills and feeding themselves and their families.

“The UK Government must keep this uplift of £20 per week, and listen to the experiences of claimants and what the planned reduction will signify.

“The additional £20 per week has proven vital to those who claim UC, providing the support that was so desperately needed even before the pandemic.

“Removing it will only push people into debt.”