Council motion condemning Universal Credit uplift cut branded 'incendiary'

The £20-a-week Universal Credit uplift was brought in last year to help families during the coronavirus pandemic, but the measure was ended last month.

At Cannock Chase Council’s latest full meeting, members were asked to back calls for the Government to reverse its decision.

But words used in the motion, such as "cruel cut", were not welcomed.

Labour member Paul Witton’s motion said: "This council is opposed to the Tory cut of £20 a week in Universal Credit.

"This is another example of the Tories pulling the rug from under the most vulnerable in society, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.

"We already have unacceptable levels of poverty due to the roll out of UC.

"But this cruel cut by the Tories will undoubtedly create further inequality and poverty, in which is supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world.

"I move that our Managing Director writes to the Secretary of State and our local MP calling for the cut of £20 a week to be reversed, in line with the Prime Ministers levelling up statement that ‘austerity is dead and gone’."

Former council leader George Adamson said: "Families here in Cannock Chase are struggling desperately to get back on their feet.

"If the Government is kicking the legs from under them it hits the local economy as well.

"Taking this money out of Cannock Chase’s local economy isn’t going to help our town centres and the action the Government is taking will take food of the table."

But Green Party member Councillor Andrea Muckley said there was an element of point-scoring going on.

She said: "With the language being used, I don’t believe any Conservative would vote for it.

"I think this language is why people in this district hate politics and politicians as we do too much point-scoring.

"This is a matter that is very important to people.

"If they lose £20 a week, it makes a massive difference to their income and ability to provide for their families.

"There is a hard winter ahead, not just with the weather but with Covid and everything else going on.

"I don’t want to see anyone in the district struggling, not able to put food on the table or put the heating on."

Conservative council leader Olivia Lyons said: "I agree with Councillor Muckley, we are better than that.

"We can’t ask our managing director to put his name to that letter, it’s so unprofessional and outright embarrassing."

Councillor Lyons put forward an amendment to state that the council was concerned about the removal of the £20 uplift and called on the Government to consider the needs of the most vulnerable.

She said the £20 Universal Credit uplift was only ever a temporary measure, and so its removal was not a cut

She said: "You are talking about writing to the Government but look at what we as a council are doing to help post-pandemic.

"We are working with local businesses in Cannock Chase to secure jobs and new employment and ensuring the support we are giving is reaching those most in need."

Councillor Phil Hewitt, cabinet member for innovation and High Streets, said: "The motion is full of incendiary language, which is not great.

"The amendment is not vastly different and agrees we write to our MP and the Chancellor of the Exchequer."

Council members overwhelmingly supported the amended motion but there was one vote against and one abstention.