£20 drop in Universal Credit: 'I'm going to pay my bills and skip food'
The benefit was increased by £20 a week at the start of the pandemic but this will end in October
21 year old Zahra says she'll have to chose between food or paying her bills.
When Zahra first came to the UK from Pakistan at the age of 20 years old, she was looking forward to living with her husband.
However, things didn’t go to plan and the relationship with her husband and his in-laws broke down and Zahra’s mental health drastically deteriorated.
Zahra was able to stay with a relative for a couple of months, before finding Centrepoint.
The benefit was increased by £20 a week at the start of the pandemic but this will end in October.
Zahra, 21, who lives in West Yorkshire said:
“I was shocked to hear about the end of the uplift. I still haven’t received any letter about it yet.
“It’s come at a really bad time for me because I’ve been applying for so many jobs and not even getting to the interview stage and I plan to start a part-time course at college to better my job opportunities. I rely on Universal Credit to pay for food, travel costs and all my bills.
“£20 may not be much for people who are working full time, but for young people who are unable to get a job and don’t have enough to pay all their bills and buy groceries, we’re really stressed about it. We’re needy, not greedy!”
A Government spokesperson said:
“As announced by the Chancellor at the Budget, the uplift to Universal Credit was always temporary. It was designed to help claimants through the economic shock and financial disruption of the toughest stages of the pandemic, and it has done so.
“Universal Credit will continue to provide vital support for those both in and out of work and it’s right that the Government should focus on our Plan for Jobs, supporting people back into work and supporting those already employed to progress and earn more.”