Calls for £20 Universal Credit uplift to remain in the East Riding
A motion will be put forward next week by the Liberal Democrat group
There is a call for the £20 uplift to Universal Credit to remain in the East Riding.
It comes from the Liberal Democrat County Councillors who are going to put forward a motion next Wednesday.
They are wanting the Tory authority to put pressure on the Government and local MPs to make the uplift permanent.
Cllr David Nolan, Leader of the Lib Dem opposition group at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:
"It's a vital lifeline for the poorest families in our society. We've got something like 21,500 people on Universal Credit in the East Riding Council area alone and they are the poorest people. There are also people who are not on Universal Credit who are on benefits who should also be eligible for it.
"Withdrawing the £20 uplift will cause misery to hard-pressed parents. They face rising food prices and energy prices. As we approach winter, parents will be forced to choose between eating or heating. The mark of a civilised society is how it treats those less fortunate. Cutting the £20 is a cruel blow to struggling families who are caught in a poverty trap.
"In February, the Council backed a Lib Dem motion calling on the Government to retain the £20 uplift. Under pressure from this Council and others, the Government extended the £20 uplift for six months. We want to see it made permanent and will be looking for the Conservative Councillors to back this.”