Committee of MPS says £20 increase to Universal Credit must be extended

The £20 weekly increase to Universal Credit payments must be extended for at least a year to prevent hundreds of thousands of families plunging into poverty, MPS have warned.

The temporary uplift, introduced at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and described as a lifeline for those struggling, is in place until the end of March.

The UK Government is facing increasing pressure to extend the extra support, but has not yet said whether it will do so.

A new report from the Work and Pensions Committee argues it must be kept in place for another year “at the very least”, if the government does not make it permanent.

Removing it in April would plunge hundreds of thousands of families into poverty and drag those already in poverty “down into destitution”, the MPS warn. They acknowledge that keeping the uplift would come at a substantial cost, with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimating it could cost around £6.4 billion in 2021/2022.

But the committee says the actual amount could be much lower if government plans to support people back to work are successful in reducing the number of people who rely on the welfare system.

The committee has also warned against replacing the weekly increase with a one-off payment.

Charities have told the Work and Pensions Committee that a “lump sum payment makes no policy sense whatsoever”.

It could destabilise people’s budgets, people with addiction or substance misuse problems could relapse and it could push other claimants over the threshold for support such as debt relief, they said.

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said a one-off payment was one of the options the government has been considering, but would not be one of her department’s “preferred approaches”.

This is due to not knowing how long the economic impact of the pandemic will last, concerns around fraud, potential disincentives to taking work, and that a steady sum of money would be more beneficial.

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Lump sum payment makes no policy sense whatsoever

Fife’s largest leisure centre operator says it is in a strong position to reopen once lockdown lifts, despite visitor numbers plummeting.

Fife Sports and Leisure Trust runs council-owned gyms, swimming pools and sports centres across the region but has lost six months of income during the coronavirus pandemic.

It warned last year that its sustainability was at risk due to the financial burden of lockdown.

It predicted a £5 million loss based on a 12-week lockdown.

The trust has now revealed it suffered a 50% drop in attendance levels when its facilities reopened in September.

In the 15 weeks from September 14 to December 23, there were 294,894 attendances – an average of 49,000 a week, half precoronavirus rates.

The numbers were compiled during a phased reopening of facilities, when a limited programme was running.

They also reflect the introduction of Tier 3 restrictions across Fife in November which saw the withdrawal of indoor group exercise classes and sports for adults.

During Tier 2, the trust opened eight of its swimming pools but had limitations on numbers due to social distancing. Eleven gyms were open with around 32% of normal occupancy. And during the nine weeks of group fitness programmes, there was a 52% occupancy.

More than 6,000 children were enrolled in swimming lessons, which restarted in October.

The trust said that despite the restrictions, customer engagement steadily improved as the confidence grew.

Customer satisfaction surveys showed consistently high scores in social distancing and health and safety measures.

Scott Urquhart, the trust’s sports and physical activity team manager, said: “The changing levels of restrictions, which meant we had to deliver coronavirus-ready facilities, meant we had to adapt quickly.

“Unsurprisingly, our attendance levels were down as we rolled out our phased reopening programme, faced limitations on which facilities and programmes we could deliver.

“However, customer feedback shows that users felt comfortable with the safety measures we had in place and we are confident that, once restrictions are lifted, we will be in a strong position to make available our venues for local communities.”

Sir, – A friendly phone call on Friday, somewhat earlier than I might have expected, led me to being one of 100 people in the 65-69-years-old tranche being given their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at Stracathro Hospital this Sunday afternoon.

The reception was welcoming, the staff were reassuring, the information comprehensive, everything was appropriately socially distanced and the process painless.

The administration and the logistics behind this operation are impressive, never mind the dedication of NHS and council staff who turn out to clear roads and roll out the vaccine in winter conditions on a Sunday.

It’s a shame that, rather than show the leadership that they are paid for, and thank and encourage the staff, some Angus councillors prefer to try to score political points in your columns by misinterpreting statistics.

Norman Mackenzie.

High Street, Brechin.