Tory seats in Black Country 'at risk' over Universal Credit cut, claims Labour
Tory seats in the Black Country could be at risk unless plans to cut Universal Credit are axed, Labour has claimed.
Labour says 118 Conservative MPs – including four in the Black Country – are under threat as they have majorities smaller than the number of claimants in their constituencies.
Sir Keir Starmer's party has urged ministers to scrap plans not to extend an emergency payment of £20 a week, which was brought in to support families during the pandemic and is to end this autumn.
Tories in the region have hit back, saying Labour had "always discredited the Universal Credit system".
Work and Pensions Secretary Thérèse Coffey has confirmed the increase in payments – brought in at the start of last year's lockdown – will end later this year.
According to Labour Party data West Bromwich East, where Nicola Richards MP has a majority of 1,593, has 11,870 Universal Credit claimants.
And West Bromwich West, Wolverhampton North East and Wolverhampton South West all have Conservative majorities that are smaller than the number of claimants.
Shadow DWP Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has written to Ms Coffey urging the Government to abandon the cut.
He said: “On behalf of the Labour Party I can assure you of our full support if you chose to put aside party politics and challenge the Chancellor to support the six million families who would be devastated by this cut.”
Confirming there are no plans to extend the payment, Ms Coffey told the Work and Payments Committee: “Ahead of October we will start communicating with current claimants who receive £20 to make them aware that will be being phased out and they will start to see an adjustment in their payments.
“I think it will largely start to kick in during October but it will be September for some people.
“The current proposal is that we will be recognising this was brought in in line with temporary measures to support people during the pandemic.”
Ms Richards, who became the first ever Conservative MP in West Bromwich East when she won the seat at the last general election, said: "This attack is rich coming from the Labour Party - the party who have always discredited the Universal Credit system.
"The DWP and our local job centres have done a fantastic job over the last year supporting those most in need of Universal Credit.
"Despite Labour’s many complaints, the Universal Credit system held up under immense pressure and was able to support people in their thousands in West Bromwich East over the course of the pandemic.
"While Labour are focussing on these political attacks, I’m getting on with trying to secure investment to level up West Bromwich East and deliver jobs and opportunities for local people.
"Had Labour channelled the same energy, perhaps the election results may not have been so damning for them, but instead they’ve been letting people down for decades."
Labour was decimated across the Black Country in the 2019 general election, losing five seats to the Tories. And the carnage continued for Sir Keir's party in this year's local elections, with more than 30 seats turning from red to blue.
