The £20 uplift that has been received by those who claim Universal Credit since the beginning of COVID is set to be cut in September and Citizens Advice Bucks is urging all local people to contact their MPs to ask them to #KeeptheLifeline.
People can join the petition started by Joseph Rowntree Foundation here: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/don-t-cut-universal-credit-lifeline
It comes after the news that High Wycombe has been identified as having one of the highest levels of food poverty in the country.
Head of Development and Communications at Citizens Advice Bucks, Anna Day explains why taking action now is so important:
“Record numbers of people across Buckinghamshire have been affected by losses of income over the last 18 months as a result of the pandemic. We owe it to those families who have worked so hard to home educate their children during COVID, and those key workers that have helped maintain society through a tragic time of loss and hardship not to abandon them now.
The whole purpose of the furlough scheme and the extension of the benefit scheme was to prevent people from starving and falling into absolute poverty. What is the point of that huge investment if we're going to give up now before things have truly improved?”
Jane Mordue, Chair of the charity said:
“This lifeline continues to be essential to many. If your income is low or uncertain, you are not going to be looking forward to this coming winter. Covid has not gone away, and, another shutdown could still be on the cards, as the death toll increases, as has happened elsewhere despite immunising much of the country. The economy is still finding its feet. We know from our clients that their communities are likely to face financial hardship this winter, with rising prices and shortages. It is totally the wrong time to pull this lifeline away. It is helping to stop people falling below the breadline. If we want to ensure that everyone comes through the pandemic, this would be a vital and humane step to take. “
You can join the national campaign to maintain the Universal Credit uplift by writing to your local MP at theyworkforyou.org. You can find out more about the national campaign from Citizens Advice here- https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/our-work/our-campaigns/all-our-current-campaigns/Universal-Credit/
Citizens Advice Bucks is an independent charity funded by donations that provides free and confidential advice to anyone in Bucks.
To donate go to https://citizensadvicebucks.org.uk/donate
If you need advice, you can call the Bucks Adviceline on freephone: 0808 278 7938
There is also an email form and further information available on their website.
www.citizensadvicebucks.org.uk
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