MSP slams ending of Universal Credit uplift

Nearly 40,000 households across South Lanarkshire have been hit by recent Universal Credit cuts – over a quarter of homes in the region.

The statistics have been labelled“catastrophic,”and prompted calls for further support for those affected.

In October the Conservative government scrapped the uplift to UC that had been implemented during the coronavirus pandemic, saying the measure was only ever meant to be temporary.

However critics say that means the worst off in society have been hit hard just as winter arrives.

In South Lanarkshire, 39,193 households have already begun to lose out, using statistics that combine the number of homes throughout the area on UC and those on working/child tax credits.

That number makes up 26 per cent of the homes across the council area.

Pam Duncan-Glancy, pictured, the Labour list MSP, has attacked the Conservative government and also called on the SNP to show“ambition”in setting out a better path in Scotland.

She said:“There was never any justification for this, but it was even more dangerous to press ahead with this cut as a cost of living crisis grows.

“In South Lanarkshire up to 39,193 households have already begun to feel the force of this hit, forcing them to make impossible choices to try and make ends meet this winter.

“This uplift was an essential lifeline during the pandemic, but it was also an admission that our social security system is not fit for purpose. It wasn’t good enough for those who needed it during the pandemic and it’s not good enough for those who need it now.

“The Tories have given up any pretence of caring about the most vulnerable in our society. This act will go down in history as a particularly shameful act from a cruel and uncaring government.

“If the Tories are intent on this heartless approach, we can and must take a different path in Scotland – but it will require real ambition from the SNP.”

Earlier this year Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended the removal of the uplift, saying:“I think that the best way forward is to get people into higher wage, higher skilled jobs.

“That’s the ambition of this government and if you ask me to make a choice between more welfare or better, higher paid jobs, I’m going to go for better, higher paid jobs.”