"The uplift of £20 a week has made a huge difference to me"
Kerry Wilks has been sharing her story, as the uplift to Universal Credit is set to end today.
It's feared people on Universal Credit in York and North Yorkshire will struggle to pay energy bills, as the £20 uplift is set to end today.
That's despite campaigns from church leaders, politicians and charities to keep it.
Kerry Wilks is on Universal Credit and was part of a protest outside Chancellor Rishi Sunak's constituency office in Northallerton in September: "I'm really worried about the uplift ending. It's a really stressful time when people just don't need it.
"The cost of everything is going up; gas, electricity, food. £86 is going to be cut; that could get me my gas and electricity.
"The uplift of £20 a week has made a huge difference to me. I've not had to depend on my mum as much; I've been able to buy my own school uniforms.
"It's been less stressful, and I've not had to rob Peter to pay Paul - like I had to previously".
Kerry doesn't think much will change or be announced at the Conservative Party Conference: "They're not bothered. If they were that bothered they would've done it by now (kept the uplift).
"What's £20 to Rishi Sunak who is worth millions? Or Boris Johnson, who is worth a lot of money? They're not bothered about the likes of us who are the lowest paid.
"I'm worried about the cost of food, gas and electricity. Obviously Christmas is coming up; it's just going to be a big stressful time. I've already started putting measures in place in my house to try and save a bit of heat.
"It's a really worrying time".
A Government spokesperson said: "We’ve always been clear that the uplift to Universal Credit was temporary and designed to help people through the toughest stages of the pandemic. Now as the economy recovers it is right to focus on getting people into work and the economy back on track.
"Our £400bn Plan for Jobs is giving people the skills and opportunities they need to get back into work, progress their careers and earn more."
Additional information:
· Throughout this crisis, the Government has spent over £400bn protecting people’s jobs, livelihoods and supporting businesses and public services. We extended economic support as we continue on the road to recovery, right through to the end of September in order to support those who most need it. That includes unprecedented welfare support.
· More than £9bn will have been spent on the Universal Credit uplift by the time it ends in September. It is right that economic support is wound down as we come out of this crisis and we focus on helping people back into work, and supporting people to progress in work.
· Children in households where every adult is working are around five times less likely to be in poverty than households where nobody works. That is why our focus now is on our multi-billion pound Plan for Jobs, which will support people in the long-term by helping them learn new skills and increase their hours or find new work.
· We also have a comprehensive childcare offer in place for working parents, as well as further help in place for families with the cost of living - including by maintaining nearly £1 billion of additional housing support through Local Housing Allowance rates.