Press release: One week for Chancellor to U-turn on cruel welfare cuts

With one week to go until the cut to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit, a Glasgow MP has urged the Chancellor to U-turn on the decision to prevent almost 1 million people being pushed into poverty.

David Linden, the SNP’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary at Westminster, has gone to No. 11 with pledges signed by constituents across Glasgow calling on Rishi Sunak to stop the Universal Credit Crunch.

Commenting, David Linden said:

"Almost 1 million people will be plunged into poverty and children will pay the price if the Chancellor does not U-turn on these cuts.

"Children in low income families in Scotland will suffer as the cut will undermine the Scottish Child Payment brought in by the Scottish Government to tackle child poverty. This callous cut will drag our efforts backwards.

"The economy, as we try to recover, will also pay the price if this cut goes ahead. We know that putting money in people’s pockets stimulates the economy, and we need that right now.

"On top of this, if low income families lose the extra £20 a week uplift they have come to rely on as energy prices rise, furlough ends, and the regressive National Insurance hike comes into play, it will be third sector organisations left, yet again, to pick up the pieces. Child welfare services will cost more down the line and food banks will struggle even more to cope.

"There are so many reasons and so much evidence as to why this cut must not go ahead - the Chancellor must finally wake up to this. We have seen some cruel decisions from the Tories over the years but going ahead with this cut, knowing what they know, at this time will be the nastiest thing they have done in recent times.

"People are already severely struggling - the UK government must not hang them out to dry. They have one week to do the right thing."