Commenting on the end of the £20 boost to Universal Credit, Martin Dorchester, Chief Executive said:
“We are deeply disappointed that today the UK Government will end the £20 boost to Universal Credit at a time when energy bills and the cost-of-living soars which will push more 20,000 Scottish children into poverty[1].
“For many of the families includem supports, the Universal Credit boost was the difference between heating their homes, making sure their children -and themselves – were fed and the bills were paid.
“Our own Poverty research found that two thirds of the young people and families we surveyed reliant on social security told us they were in a worse financial position than they were pre-pandemic. Three quarters of those told us this had a knock-on effect to their mental health with 82% telling us their mental health was worse now than it was a year ago.
“Indeed, in our new Poverty Report, Living in Poverty: A Form of Permanent Lockdown, one respondent told us that the loss of the £20 would have a significant negative impact on their quality of life as a family.
“We call on the UK Government to reverse the cut, do the right thing and #KeepTheLifeline.”
[1] https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/fury-universal-credit-cut-push-25144404
