{"id":30002,"date":"2021-09-17T15:35:43","date_gmt":"2021-09-17T14:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=30002"},"modified":"2021-09-20T12:07:56","modified_gmt":"2021-09-20T11:07:56","slug":"cancel-the-cut-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=30002","title":{"rendered":"‘Cancel the cut’ call"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Unite Community ramped up its campaign this week as protestors descended on Parliament to demand the government reverse its decision to cut \u00c2\u014120 a week from Universal Credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The extra \u00c2\u014120 a week, added to Universal Credit payments last April, was introduced as an emergency measure under the first lockdown but has since been under constant threat. Unite Community and other organisations successfully lobbied to delay the cut — but now the government has vowed to slash Universal Credit from next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dozens of Unite Community members, joined by Labour MPs, gathered outside Parliament on Wednesday (September 15) holding banners and placards emblazoned with \u00e2\u20ac\u0098cancel the cut and extend for all\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, \u00e2\u20ac\u0098a warm home and food are not luxuries\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and ‘keep our families fed’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unite is calling for the \u00c2\u014120 a week cut to Universal Credit to be cancelled, for the uplift to be made permanent and to likewise extend it to the more than 2m people on legacy benefits who were denied the uplift from the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UniteLive spoke to Unite Community Bromley branch chair Paula Peters (pictured below), a disability rights activist who is on legacy benefits. Paula explained how difficult it has been for her and others like her who have struggled on legacy benefits, especially during the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI was shielding during the pandemic which was really difficult,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bDuring the pandemic, the supermarkets increased their online delivery charges. I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get an online delivery slot for shopping. All the shops doubled or tripled their prices during the pandemic so I was having to make really stark choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe energy companies also increased their prices and having an auto-immune condition I needed to keep warm,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bDisabled people like myself also needed to secure vital personal protective equipment but then were also faced with the prices of PPE rising.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paula highlighted a report by the Disability Benefits Consortium, which interviewed nearly 2,000 people on legacy benefits and showed the impact the pandemic has had claimants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bNearly 80 per cent of legacy benefit claimants said they couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t afford to eat during the pandemic,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she noted. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhen they were asked what the \u00c2\u014120 uplift would mean to them, they said the extra \u00c2\u014120 a week would mean everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bMore than one in five said the uplift would literally be life-changing for them,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Paula added, choking back tears. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt means they would be able to eat and heat their homes — and live.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calling the government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s insistence on cutting Universal Credit and excluding legacy benefits claimants \u00e2\u20ac\u015ba total travesty\u00e2\u20ac\u0165, Paula railed against work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s recent comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week, Coffey said she was \u00e2\u20ac\u0098happy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 to make the cut, noting that people on Universal Credit simply needed to work more hours to make up for the cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bShe fails to understand that when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re on a zero hours contract, you simply can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t find those additional hours to work,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Paula noted. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThat\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really got to be stressed \u00e2\u20ac\u201c her remarks were callous, cruel and absolutely heartless.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unite Community member Kiran Khan (pictured below), who is also a Labour councillor for Crawley Borough Council, agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe current Universal Credit system is simply not fit for purpose,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bBefore the \u00c2\u014120 uplift, the rate was already far too low. When the \u00c2\u014120 came in, it made a massive difference to people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lives \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it literally meant the difference between being able to afford to eat or not eat.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kiran, who herself has claimed Universal Credit, explained the struggles she faced even simply applying to claim the benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe application process is very difficult and that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s online-only is very unfair for so many different groups of people,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bEven someone like me who is familiar with computer technology, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very difficult to navigate. I dread to think what people who aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t familiar with technology have to go through. The job search system as part of the Universal Credit application is really tough, and the online journal system really needs to be simplified.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Kiran firmly believes the \u00c2\u014120 uplift to Universal Credit should be made permanent and also extended to legacy claimants, she noted that to cut Universal Credit now would be especially reckless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe pandemic is far from over,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe Delta variant is still spreading across the country and it is a lot more aggressive than previous variants. There are still millions of people who are unemployed and are struggling through this pandemic. That \u00c2\u014120 is a vital lifeline for people at a time when they desperately need support.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Paula, Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner (pictured below, centre) also condemned the work and pensions secretary\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s recent comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Flags flying outside Parliament. One is to commemorate \u00e2\u20ac\u0098Armed Forces Day\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to UniteLive from the demo, Turner said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe suggestion that you can just work a couple of extra hours to make up for the cut \u00e2\u20ac\u201c even if it were true, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not realistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe reality is the highest tax rate in the UK is on the poorest in the UK,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnder Universal Credit, for every one pound that you earn above the work allowance, 63p is taken away from you in benefits. I wish that wealth were taxed at a 63 per cent rate \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but that is not the case, they have some of the lowest tax rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got the lowest level of benefits than any comparable nation certainly across the Europe,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he went on to say. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe fact that we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re the sixth richest nation on this planet and we say we can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t afford to give dignity to those who are unable to work \u00e2\u20ac\u201c for whatever reason \u00e2\u20ac\u201c is morally wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAnd let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s remember that many people have very serious health conditions that prevent them from working or they indeed can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t find work, or are in such low-paid work, working an untold numbers of hours, that they have no other choice to claim Universal Credit. The fact that we believe we can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t pay them a decent rate as a consequence of crisis that was not of their making is completely unacceptable.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turner said Unite has a clear message for this government \u00e2\u20ac\u201c to cancel the cut to Universal Credit, and extend the uplift to legacy benefits claimants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a crisis of our making or of even of businesses\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 making,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a global pandemic and we need to work together to resolve that — we simply can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t put the burden of a recovery on the poorest.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wednesday\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s demo came ahead of a Labour opposition day debate, where the party forced a vote on Universal Credit. After Tory MPs were instructed to abstain, Labour\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s motion to cancel the Universal Credit cut was passed by 253 votes to 0, with four Tory MPs rebelling and backing the motion. While it was a non-binding vote, it puts additional pressure on the government to take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can help continue to pile on the pressure on the government by taking part in Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s campaign to cancel the cut to Universal Credit. Find out more here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Hajera Blagg<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pics by Mark Thomas<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unite Community ramped up its campaign this week as protestors descended on Parliament to demand the government reverse its decision to cut \u00c2\u014120 a week from Universal Credit. The extra \u00c2\u014120 a week, added to Universal Credit payments last April, was introduced as an emergency measure under the first lockdown but has since been under […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30007,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[587,172,1720,462],"wps_subtitle":"Unite Community members protest outside Parliament calling on gov\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t to cancel Universal Credit cut and extend \u00c2\u014120 uplift to all claimants","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30002"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30002"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30002\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30032,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30002\/revisions\/30032"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}