• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
  • Guest Content
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Universal Credit cut to hit sickest places hardest, charity finds

Ministers are pushing ahead with scrapping the £20-a-week UC uplift at the end of September.

Henry Goodwin by Henry Goodwin
2021-09-10 11:15
in Politics
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp


Scrapping the £1,000-a-year Universal Credit uplift will cause mental illness and worse health for thousands of people – and hit the sickest areas of the UK hardest, new research reveals.

The Health Foundation study comes as ministers prepare to ditch the Universal Credit boost, 19 months after it was brought in amid the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The damning analysis comes with the government facing stinging criticism for its planned National Insurance hike – which will leave low-paid workers hundreds of pounds poorer.

‘Step backwards’

Rishi Sunak this week claimed people will not be forced into poverty when the government cuts Universal Credit at the end of September.

Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, the chancellor said: “I don’t accept that people will be forced into poverty, because we know, and all the evidence and history tells us, the best way to take people out of poverty is to find them high-quality work.

“We are creating jobs at a rapid rate – eight months of continuous growth in employment supported by this government, traineeships, sector-based work academies, apprenticeships, Kickstart, you name it, we are delivering it to help those people in Liverpool get the skills and the jobs they need to help support their families.”

But the Health Foundation charity said areas like Blackpool, Hartlepool, Wolverhampton, Peterborough and parts of east London already suffering some of the worst health outcomes would be battered by the cut.

In Blackpool, for example, the average healthy life expectancy for men and women is just 55.2 years – and the average UC cut per head is £283.

The charity said the removal of income would contribute to rising mental ill health amid debt and the prospect of spiralling energy and food prices.

RelatedPosts

‘Immigrants and poor people’: Government clamps down on homelessness

Sir Graham Brady boasts about ‘seniority’ and ability to bunk off from MP duties in fake interview

‘Johnson for sale’: Kwarteng promised fake firm access to ex-PM for £10k a day

Chatbot infuriates right-wingers after it shows appreciation for Jeremy Corbyn’s genius

Jo Bibby, director of health at the Health Foundation, said: “A cut to Universal Credit would be a step backwards and an indication that the government has not learned from mistakes of the recovery from the financial crisis. 

“The pandemic is not yet over and if we are to avoid long-term scars, it is vital that we maintain this support on which so many families rely.”

‘Business as usual’

Polling undertaken by the charity found 51 per cent of the public – and 40 per cent of Tory voters – want to see the £20-a-week uplift maintained.

The damning analysis comes after a minister admitted there has been no formal impact assessment of the Universal Credit cut – because it represents a return to “business as usual”.

“The department has not completed an impact assessment of the ending of the temporary uplift, as it was introduced as a temporary measure,” Baroness Stedman-Scott, the work and pensions minister, told the House of Lords on Thursday. 

“This is because we have no obligation to conduct an impact assessment as we’re returning to business as usual, as the temporary Covid uplift is expiring as it was always intended to do.”

Related: UK economy grinds to a halt

Content Protection by DMCA.com
Tags: Universal Credit

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending

Elevenses: Exposing the Tories’ Deepfake Illegal Immigration Bill

Elevenses: Rishi’s Finest Hour

Elevenses: Fear and Loathing in the New Conservatives

More from TLE

Vaccine sceptic doctor receives saucy WhatsApp live on GB News

Nicola Sturgeon says she has made it “crystal clear” that Margaret Ferrier should resign

Boris backed into corner over alleged ‘Sexist of the Year’ award

Liz Truss tried to boast about exporting apples to India. It didn’t go well.

Champagne and Cheese – a beautiful alliance

‘They’re mocking us’: Gavin Williamson knighted

Peckham Commuters Treated to Celebrity Train Conductor

Door remains open for Britain to rejoin the EU, says Barnier

Jacob Rees-Mogg claims UK leads the way on Russia sanctions… but it backfires

Starmer: Labour must earn back every vote lost under Corbyn

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Commercial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.