Milton Keynes Labour Party is urging the two Conservative MPs for Milton Keynes to oppose a £1000 a year income cut to people on Universal Credit.

The £20 a week cut will apply to people on Universal Credit. In May 10,365 people were receiving Universal Credit in MK, the vast majority on those are in work. The cut would remove around £11,000,000 from the pockets of less affluent families in MK, over £1000 a year per family.

The extra £20 a week to hard pressed families was introduced at the start of the pandemic but leading anti-poverty campaigners, charities and opposition parties have been urging the government to keep the uplift.  Despite widespread opposition from across the political spectrum the Conservative Government has announced that it will go ahead with a planned cut in October.

MK Labour are opposing the cut and are urging Conservative MPs “Greedy” Ben Everitt MP and “Invisible” Iain Stewart MP to speak out against the cut. Last year Ben and Iain voted against extending help for children on free school meals to the Christmas period stating that the way to decrease food poverty was through the Universal Credit system.

Labour have also contrasted the £1000 a year cut to the income of the poorest MK families to the fact MP “Greedy” Ben Everitt last year claimed almost £3000 a month in expenses for a second home in London, despite living only 45 minutes away from London.

Cllr Zoe Nolan, Cabinet Member for Children said: “The £1000 a year cut to the income of the least well-off families in MK is a disgrace. Labour opposes this cut and our Conservative MPs should too.”

She continued: “The cut will take nearly £11,000,000 out of the local economy. The vast majority of the 10,000 people in MK on Universal Credit are in hardworking families. They cannot afford it and the cut will hit the most vulnerable the most. Last year our MPs said the best way to tackle child poverty was through Universal Credit. The cut is opposed across the political spectrum and its impact will be devastating. Our Conservative MPs need to act.”

She concluded: “Last year Greedy Ben Everitt claimed almost £3000 a month in expenses for a second home in London when he lives 45 minutes away, yet now he’d take £1000 from the pockets of our poorest families, but what do we expect from a man who voted for a cut to the help the UK gives the world’s poorest children just weeks after saying he wouldn’t? Let’s hope he does the decent thing this time.”