Charity claims ‘biggest ever’ overnight cut to welfare mocks ‘levelling up’ agenda

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has said welfare cuts coming into force today make a “mockery” of the government’s “mission to level up”.

The anti-poverty charity has said around 5.5 million families across the United Kingdom are £1,040-a-year worse off as of today, due to the “biggest ever overnight cut to social security”.

JRF says half a million more people, including 200,000 children, will be pulled into poverty by the cuts.

They also estimated that 1.7 million people who will experience this cut to their Universal Credit claims will be unable to work, due to caring for others, disability, or illness.

They said the cut will have the most severe impact in Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East, North West and West Midlands, and will take £6 billion of spending power out of local economies.

Helen Barnard, Deputy Director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said:“Today the Prime Minister has imposed the biggest ever overnight cut to social security. It makes a mockery of his mission to level up. Despite overwhelming opposition, he is ploughing ahead with a cut which fundamentally undermines the adequacy of our vital social security system as we face a cost-of-living crisis. This is not building back better, it’s repeating the same mistakes made after the last financial crisis.”

“The Prime Minister is abandoning millions to hunger and hardship with his eyes wide open. Low-income families urgently need him to reinstate this vital lifeline.”