The work and pensions secretary, Esther McVey, has admitted some families will be “worse off” under universal credit.
These comments contradict the Number 10 who have said Universal Credit will not adversely affect people who are able to access it.
This week it was reported that she told a cabinet meeting that half of lone parents and about two-thirds of working-age couples with children would lose around £2,400 a year.
This comes after Gordon Brown and Sir John Major warned that the new benefit system could create as much pubic hated as the Poll Tax, under Margaret Thatcher’s Government.
Today on BBC News she said: “I’ve said we made tough decisions. Some people will be worse off.”
“Under the old system, 700,000 people didn’t get £285 a month, so they didn’t get the money they were owed. Under the old system the most vulnerable in society weren’t getting as much money as we are now going to give them.”
Tory MP Johnny Mercer, said he had grave concerns about the system.“Universal credit was designed so that no one would be worse off,” Mercer tweeted. “Stop the tax-free allowance rise and reinvest into UC, or I can’t support it. Not politically deliverable in Plymouth I’m afraid.”
Speaking during a visit to Bristol, Jeremy Corbyn said: “Three million families are going to be worse off by about £50 per week from Universal Credit.
“So immediately we will say ‘we will stop this process’ and we would make sure that nobody is worse off under Universal Credit.”
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