Universal Credit Dropping by £20 a Week…

From the end of September the amount of money you get from Universal Credit will be going down by £20 a week. Those of you receiving Working Tax Credit will have already seen your money drop from 6th April 2021.

If you receive UC, you may see a notification on your journal that states the reduction will be around £83 per month.

At Citizens Advice we welcomed the Government’s decision at the start of pandemic to increase Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits by £20 a week. This uplift has provided a lifeline for millions of families across the UK. We're now calling for it to be made permanent to provide financial security for millions of people.

We have written to the local MP many times and will continue to campaign for this to stay or be reinstated.

Why the uplift needs to stay

Every day our advisers speak to people who have had their lives turned upside down by this pandemic. Many who’ve never needed support from the benefits system, and others who were already on a financial cliff edge going into the crisis.

As the economy recovers, it’s vital that Universal Credit provides a strong safety net. Keeping the £20 uplift will help to ensure that people can cover their essential costs like food and rent.

What We're Doing

A coalition of charities, including Citizens Advice, have launched a campaign #KeepTheLifeline to persuade the government to make the £20 a week uplift permanent. So far, our campaigning work has involved: raising awareness of this issue in the media (BBC News, iNews, The Guardian), engaging with local MPs and submitting evidence to government and parliamentary committees.

What you can do if you're affected by this

If you're worried you might struggle to pay your bills it's worth trying our online budgeting tool below

Citizens Advice Budgeting Tool

This will help you to understand what you’re earning and spending and where you might be able to cut costs.

For information on how you can get help with your bills, including; benefits and grants, dealing with rent arrears, council tax, credit card debts, loan repayments, etc. Click on the link below

Citizens Advice - Get Help with Bills

If you need further help or information you can contact Wyre Forest Citizens Advice on our freephone number

0808 278 7891

or email

info@wyreforestcab.cabnet.org.uk

You can help with the campaign – join your voice by raising awareness on social media or by writing to your MP.