“Defending people’s incomes needs to be a Labour priority right now – as making the poorest people poorer is the Tories agenda right now.”
Over 13,000 activists have signed our petition telling the Government ‘Don’t Cut Universal Credit’ write the Labour Assembly Against Austerity team.
Over 13,000 Labour Party activists have warned Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak not to cut Universal Credit this April, by signing a petition launched by Labour left economy campaigners Labour Assembly Against Austerity.
The petition – which has secured 13,000 signatures in under a month and you can read and sign at https://www.change.org/p/boris-johnson-boris-johnson-rishi-sunak-don-t-cut-universal-credit – states ‘The Government must not go ahead with plans for Universal Credit to be cut back by £20 in April.’
The £20 per week increase in Universal Credit was introduced in April 2020 for a year in response to the economic impact of covid but the Government has not committed to retaining it, despite growing levels of in-work poverty.
The message not to cut the payment has been supported by a wide range of anti-poverty campaigners including the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, who are leading a #KeepTheLifeline campaign.
A recent poll from IpsosMORI showed that 62% of the public agreed with the £20 uplift to Universal Credit.
Urging people to sign the Labour Assembly Against Austerity petition, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted that cutting universal credit was ‘wrong, immoral and unjust’ and would ‘punish people’.
Defending people’s incomes needs to be a Labour priority right now – as making the poorest people poorer is the Tories agenda right now.
After clapping key workers, we’ve seen this Government’s true colours with attempts to cut furlough payments, the return of the public sector pay freeze, and from April they’re taking £1000 a year from those on low incomes depending on Universal Credit. This will push more people into destitution.
Last week, Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds also warned the anticipated cut in Universal Credit was one of five Covid cliff-edges for people on low incomes.
