Cost of Living Increases — Income — Poverty — Universal Credit — Energy Payment — Child Payments — 24 Jan 2022 at 19:24

The majority of MPs voted against measures to boost incomes and reverse rising poverty, against reinstating extra universal credit, against a living wage of at least £10 an hour, against an energy payment for low income households and against a payment of £20 a week in respect of every child under 6.

The motion supported by the majority of MPs in this vote is:

• That this House
• notes there is a cost of living crisis hitting homes across the UK;
• regrets the UK Government’s current plan of reductions in certain benefits and tax rises coupled with rising costs of the UK leaving the EU;
• is concerned that the UK has the worst levels of poverty and inequality in north west Europe and the highest levels of in-work poverty this century; and
• calls on the Government to take immediate action with a package of measures to boost incomes and reverse rising poverty, including reinstating the £20 universal credit uplift, introducing a Real Living Wage of at least £10 an hour, introducing an energy payment for low income households, and matching the Scottish Government’s Scottish Child Payment for families across the UK.

The Scottish Child Payment was a weekly payment of £20 payable in respect of each child under six.

In April 2020 Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit were increased by twenty pounds a week (£1040/year) as a temporary measure in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.^[2]

--

• [1] Scottish Child Payment, How it Works, Scottish Government website, MyGov.scot
• [2] Chancellor announces workers’ support package, 20 March 2020, Gov.UK

Debate in Parliament |