Torfaen MP Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds has criticised the UK Government following confirmation last week that they will be cutting Universal Credit by £20 from the end of September.

The announcement from the Government comes as six former Conservative Work and Pensions Secretaries urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak to keep the £20 uplift in place.

The £20 increase to Universal Credit was introduced in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic to alleviate the impact on those who are out of work or on low income. The uplift was extended for 6 months in March 2021 following a campaign by charities, opposition parties and several Conservative MPs.

Opposing the cut to Universal Credit, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: ‘The £20 uplift to Universal Credit has been a lifeline for millions of people across the country throughout the pandemic and should be made permanent. Over 8000 households in Torfaen will be £1,000 a year worse off because of this cut, pushing more and more people into poverty.

This is the wrong decision for these families and the wrong decision for the economy. This decision is not just opposed by the Labour Party and anti-poverty campaigners, but also by prominent Conservatives. The Government should listen to these warnings and cancel their cut to Universal Credit.’