Universal Credit cut

Conservative MPs refuse to protect over 16,000 households in Harrow as
government doubles down on Universal Credit cut

Conservative MPs refused to support Labour proposals to protect 26
people in Harrow from the Government’s planned £20 a week cut to
Universal Credit today, after Labour forced a vote in the House of
Commons demanding that the Government scraps its planned cut to
Universal Credit.
This will hit 164 families in Harrow with a cut equivalent
to the cost of the average family’s annual electricity, gas and internet
bills combined.

The vote confirms the Prime Minister’s remarks at the Liaison Committee
last week that he intends to cut Universal Credit by £20 a week, or
£1040 a year, for 6 million families in April.

Labour has repeatedly called for the Prime Minister to change course and
provide certainty to millions of struggling families who face a triple
blow of council tax hikes, frozen pay and a cut to Universal Credit.

Child Poverty Action Group has stated the £20 uplift is essential to
ensure “low-income families with children receive the support they
need”. While the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has warned that the cut
could see another 200,000 children pushed into poverty.

Labour MP For Harrow West Gareth Thomas voted to support the 16,426
house holds through the COVID Crisis, When asked about his neighbouring
MP Bob Blackman Gareth said:

“It is unthinkable that Conservative MPs want to push families in into
further hardship in the midst of an economic crisis.

“The Government’s chronic mismanagement of the pandemic response has
caused Britain to suffer the worst recession of any major economy. Now
the Government is trying to make low income families pay as a result of
their incompetence.

“Families in Harrow deserve support during this crisis, not cuts.”