Nearly 16,000 families in Sutton face "heartless" government Universal Credit cut

New data from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation exposes the true nature of how badly hit Sutton will be by the £20 Universal Credit cut, with Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Carshalton and Wallington Bobby Dean slamming the “heartless” move.

As many as one in five hard-pressed families across Carshalton and Wallington face being left worse off when the government end the uplift to Universal Credit next month. 

In the report, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimate that the Universal Credit cut alone could force 500,000 people across the country, almost half of them children, into poverty.

Their breakdown shows that some 15,930 families in Sutton will be harmed by the Government’s uplift cut, with 34% of families with children in Carshalton and Wallington being affected adversely.

Responding to the data, Bobby Dean, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Carshalton and Wallington said:

“It shouldn’t have taken a pandemic for the Government to realise how difficult it is to survive on Universal Credit. Now to cut this vital lifeline while the economy is still on the rocks is simply heartless.  

"Local families are now going to face the most impossible decisions. Do they pay the heating bill or cut back on food for the family?

"Liberal Democrats are calling for the Universal Credit uplift to be made permanent. We must keep this lifeline for families in Sutton.”

 Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions Spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain MP added:

“Just as we begin to hope that Covid is being tamed in the UK, the Government is ripping support from millions of families across the country. We cannot have a full recovery if families are struggling to make ends meet.

“The Prime Minister's claim that he wants people to live by their own 'efforts' rather than 'welfare' shows how out of touch he really is. With almost half of those receiving Universal Credit already in work and with many having young families, this cut will leave parents and their children behind despite their efforts."