Council urges PM not to cut benefits

Slough: £20-a-week uplift in Universal Credit should stay

Slough Borough Council voted to press the Government and urge it not to cut the £20-a-week uplift in Universal Credit at a meeting on Tuesday.

A motion brought forward by the deputy leader of the council, councillor Sabia Akram (Lab, Elliman), was passed to write to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak demanding the £20 increase to Universal Credit is permanent.

Cllr Akram said: “We often hear the Prime Minister saying he wants to ‘level up’ the UK – but when we judge the Government by its actions and not by its sound-bites, it’s hard to see with this regressive cut of £1,000 of welfare support to 8,125 Slough residents that he's serious about it.”

She also challenged the opposing Slough Conservatives about if they supported and were proud of the Government’s intention to cut this £20 increase.

The leader of the Tories, councillor Wayne Strutton

(Haymill & Lynch Hill), whose amendment to the motion fell, said the Slough Labour group were

‘jumping the gun’as a leaked report to the national press said the Government intends to retain the £20 increase.

He said: “This Government has given so much money to support people throughout this.

“Yes, there have been mistakes – but if you compare it to the type of support the previous Labour Government gave over the financial crisis that it was supporting financial businesses for their mistakes, this Government looked to support as many people and businesses as possible.”

Cllr Strutton added he wished the Labour group’s motions focused more on things that directly impact the majority of Slough rather than ‘just small sections’.

The leader of the council, councillor James Swindlehurst (Labour: Cippenham Green) refuted the Conservative leader’s comments, saying a leak is not an official announcement or position from the Government – which is why the council is writing to the Prime Minister asking for one.

He added this cut would affect more than 10 per cent of the borough’s adult population, saying: “If Cllr Strutton thinks that is a measure that doesn’t affect Slough residents, then I really think he can’t understand either maths or morality.”

Cllr Strutton also said the council received in excess of £50million of financial aid from the Government – but councillor Christine Hulme (Lab, Central) pointed out that figure included business rates, not supporting vulnerable residents in the pandemic.

A majority of councillors voted for the motion at a full council meeting on January 26 (Tuesday).