£20 Taken From Universal Credit
£20 Taken From Universal Credit

As the Conservatives prepare to slash Universal Credit for 10,850 in Mansfield, new analysis reveals the cut will leave families £220 worse off by Christmas.

The Universal Credit cut comes in on Wednesday 6 October, leaving recipients facing 11 weeks of reduced support before December 25th. The cut comes amid a wider squeeze for working families including rising energy prices, the proposed National Insurance hike and widespread fears that the Conservatives plan to raise council tax to fund its social care commitments.

The Universal Credit cut will see 10,850 recipients lose £1,040 a year – at a cost of £11.3m to the local economy.

Figures used in earlier stories suggested 3,500 people in Mansfield were affected, however, latest figures show this number is more than three times higher.

Andy Abrahams, leader of Mansfield Labour Group said,

“Working families in Mansfield are taking an absolute battering from the Conservatives. Higher tax, lower support, and rising energy prices – this is a perfect storm and local families are being abandoned by this Tory Government just when they need them most.

“Ministers like to pretend that this crisis won’t hit families hard but the truth is that those on Universal Credit will be down £220 by Christmas alone – that’s more than half the average family Christmas budget.

“People in Mansfield need real support, but all they get from this Conservative government are empty slogans and a cost of living crisis that could ruin Christmas. Mansfield deserves better.”

ENDS


Notes to Editors

The Universal Credit cut comes into force on October 6. There are 11 full weeks between October 6 and Christmas.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41487126

The average family Christmas budget in 2020 was £420

https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/11/26/average-household-christmas-spend-set-to-drop-but-some-areas-of-uk-plan-an-increase/#:~:text=The%20UK%2Dwide%20survey%20from,560%20and%20%C2%A3567%20respectively.

10,850 people in Mansfield receive Universal Credit and are set to see a £20 a week – £1,040 a year – cut at the end of September. That’s a combined total of £11.284m

This article Initially cited UC claimant count data, 3,500 in Mansfield (published here), however, in fact the figure is even higher. The most compete figures reveal there are 10,850 Universal Credit claimants in Mansfield (House of Commons Library here (search for Mansfield)

In September 2020, analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) found that the withdrawal of the uplift will risk bringing 700,000 more people, including 300,000 more children into poverty. It could also bring 500,000 more people into deep poverty (classified as being more than 50% below the poverty line).

5 million families claim Universal Credit, including over 3.5 million children. Combined with those claiming Working Tax Credits, this cut will impact 6.2 million families

 

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