Benefit cuts to devastate thousands of women in Merseyside

With the furlough scheme ending and the extra £20 a week in Universal Credit coming to an end, campaigners in Merseyside tell us they have huge concerns for those living on the breadline.

The Government have created a new winter support fund to help struggling families with the cost of living over winter as part of a new support fund.

£500 million is being put aside for councils to share with the lowest-earning households, as coronavirus recovery continues.

It's aimed at supporting people to pay for essentials like food, clothes and energy bills.

But Maggie O’Carroll, chief executive of The Women’s Organisation in Liverpool says Universal Credit cut will be devastating for thousands of women :

“To say I’m dismayed at the news of the Government’s proposed cut to Universal Credit is a huge understatement. It illustrates starkly how out of touch the Government is with the most vulnerable members of our society.

“What may be the cost of a bottle of wine for our friends in Whitehall is a weekly shop for the millions of people that this decision will most affect.

“The number of people accessing Universal Credit has almost doubled nationally throughout the pandemic. The £20 weekly uplift now provides a vital lifeline for around 5.9 million people across the UK.

“Following the announcements about national insurance increases, as well as soaring food and energy bills, this comes as another devastating blow. It could force many mothers into making crippling decisions between keeping warm and putting food on the table this winter. That is the reality.

“Our research indicates women in the Liverpool City Region will be hardest hit by the cuts. During the pandemic women accessing Universal Credit outnumbered men by eight to one. Women have also been most affected by high rates of redundancies across the region and forced into low paid and often unstable employment.

“In-work poverty in the region is now at a record high and 38,000 employed women now access Universal Credit across Liverpool City Region, compared to 25,000 employed men.

“And while 1,200 fewer unemployed men have accessed Universal Credit since last summer across the Liverpool City Region, the number of women accessing the same support has grown by 4000. This roughly equates to 300 more unemployed women every month. The figures are startling and are only set to rise as more women move out of employment as the furlough scheme closes.

“There’s no disputing that proposed cuts to Universal credit will send huge ripples through our communities. We strongly urge the Government to reconsider their plans and put forward an alternative that does not neglect the thousands of people they should be trying their hardest to protect.”