BENEFIT CUT: ‘PEOPLE WILL SKIP MEALS’
MORE THAN 6,500 borough households will see a cut of more than £1,000 to their annual income from next month.
From Wednesday, October 6, Universal Credit will be reduced by £20 per week, removing the uplift that was introduced in March last year.
New research conducted on behalf of the Trussell Trust found one-in-five people claiming Universal Credit in the South East are “very likely” to skip meals as a result.
Annette Medhurst, manager at Wokingham Foodbank said the additional £20 helps households “keep their heads above water”.
“The uplift in Universal Credit alongside free school meal vouchers during the school holidays has given many households that little bit extra to help them cope,” she said.
“Wokingham is a very expensive place to live and I am very concerned that people will slip back down into needing to attend a Foodbank.
“I know that is what we are here for but the dignity of buying what you want to feed yourself and your family should not be understated and overlooked.”
And Juliet Sherratt, founder of the Woodley Lunch Bunch said she shares the same concerns.
She founded the group last summer, over concerns about free school meal vouchers.
Since then, the demand for children’s holiday packed lunches has grown and they need more volunteers.
“We’ve now got a waiting list of people because we’re at capacity,” Ms Sherratt told Wokingham.Today. “We set up to help people, but at the same time, we have to be realistic, and realise that we sort of pushed ourselves to the limit.
“We’ve also had to turn down people from out of the area. It feels mean, but we have to realise that we’re working within our limits.”
The Trussell Trust, which supports a national network of more than 1,300 food banks, is calling on the Government to stop the Universal Credit cut as part of the Keep the Lifeline campaign.
It is one of 100 organisations supporting the campaign.
The charity said it is the biggest overnight cut to social security since the Second World War and will be a huge blow for thousands of families.
Emma Revie, chief executive at the Trussell Trust, said: “These are families already caught in impossible situations who worry every day about switching on the heating and feeding their children.
“No one should have to suffer the indignity of not being able to afford the essentials in life – like food or heating.”
Reacting to the planned cut, Wokingham Labour is petitioning Sir John Redwood to help struggling families.
Cllr Rachel Burgess, leader of the group, is calling on the Wokingham MP to reverse the cut in Universal Credit and suspend the Minimum Income Floor for the self-employed.
Cllr Burgess said her ward, Norreys, has 700 people relying on Universal Credit. The highest number per ward.
She said 7,900 individuals across the borough receive the support, with 5,500 of them living in Sir John’s constituency.
This was based on provisional data from the Department of Work and Pensions, published last month.
“In Norreys, more than 250 children live in families which rely on Universal Credit – double the number at the start of the pandemic,” the councillor said.
“Foodbank and food charity usage soared in the pandemic, but the £20 per week uplift made a real difference and kept many people away from the food bank.”
Cllr Burgess said while £20 each week may not sound very much, it means a reduction of more than £1,000 a year.
“This is a massive amount,” she said. “People ... are now really worried about what the future will bring. Debt will rise. Foodbank usage will rise. Poverty will rise. It is simply not good enough.”
Cllr Clive Jones, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group said: “Such a devastating cut will knock many Wokingham families into real poverty, why this Government continues to hit the poor and protect those better paid is a scandal that will be scorned by generations to come.”
Cllr Burgess said the Government should not be “driving people” to foodbanks.
“This is building back worse and crushing people down, not levelling up,” she said.
Sir John Redwood said: “I will, as always, raise my constituents’ concerns with the Government.”
Wokingham borough Conservatives declined to comment on national Government decisions.