Sent by email to Oliver Dowden MP

Dear Oliver,

There are only a matter of weeks now until the uplift to Universal Credit is cruelly removed from millions of people by the Chancellor.

Although the uplift was designed to be temporary, the difference it has made has been incredible. There is a huge body of anecdotal evidence to support this. My own local food bank has seen a 75 per cent reduction to the number of single people who require their help since the uplift was introduced. It is little wonder that hundreds of charitable organisations have been campaigning to stop the cut.

It is now abundantly clear that the standard allowance of Universal Credit was too low before the pandemic and this moment must be seized to right that wrong.

Senior Conservative figures such as the architect of Universal Credit, Sir Ian Duncan Smith MP, agree and have argued that a failure to do so would prevent the Government from delivering on its manifesto commitments.

‘Building back better’ simply isn’t possible with more of the same. ‘Levelling up’ is a meaningless soundbite without meaningful action.

Increasingly, we hear from the Government benches that ‘work is the best route out of poverty’ when ministers are challenged over the impending cut. But Universal Credit is not an out-of-work benefit. As many as 40 per cent of the households which rely on Universal Credit are working households.

And over the course of the pandemic, many found themselves jobless for the first time in their adult lives. It was right that Universal Credit was boosted to help them. It would be equally wrong for that extra money to be taken from those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in a similar position in future.

This is the time for Conservative MPs to decide whether they will stand by hardworking people, or stand by while millions of families face the choice between eating and heating this winter.

David Linden MP

SNP spokesperson for Work and Pensions