Furlough to end and Universal Credit drops by £20 a week: 'I've had enough'

Furlough, which has be given to thousands will end on Thursday, and Universal Credit is set to be cut by £20 a week

Author: Hannah NorburyPublished 27th Sep 2021

Later this week, furlough will come to an end, after covering millions of peoples wages since the scheme began in April.

It meant workers were paid 80% of their wages.

The chancellor announced a six-month extension to the £20-a-week uplift in Universal Credit back in March, as part of the governments spending review.

The benefit will drop by £20 a week on Thursday (30th September).

We spoke to a self-employed man from Shipley, who tells us he hasn't been able to work throughout the whole pandemic, and was turned down for every government grant, he said:

"It literally dried up over night, I felt as if a brick dropped on my head. I have another year to even wait, until I can work again."

The man, who doesn't want to be named, works as a tour director, meaning he's been hit hard by the restrictions around the travel sector.

"I have to fight to get what I need. I'm sick of fighting, I'm tired, I don't want to do it anymore and I've had enough."

He tells us he feels grants have been given out unfairly:

"I know people who've just got £5,000, and they're still open, they're making £400 a day, it's just wrong."

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