MPs – including Tories – demand Universal Credit uplift retention after misleading Tory tweet
The Big Lie: Labour won a vote calling on the Tory government to extend the £20 Universal Credit uplift – and this is the tweet the Conservatives sent before the debate.
MPs on both sides of the House of Commons have urged Boris Johnson to extend an uplift of Universal Credit beyond its planned end date.
The non-binding Labour motion passed by 278 votes to none, with six Conservatives defying a Tory whip to abstain.
They were Robert Halfon, who appeared on TV vowing to support Labour’s motion…
“I absolutely believe that universal credit should be extended”
Conservative MP Robert Halfon says he is “most likely to vote for the Labour amendment” on Monday to extend the £20 weekly increase in universal credit, due to end in March#politicslive https://t.co/HyOZCKRZPZ pic.twitter.com/q6cVWJi2XV
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) January 18, 2021
(He has some strange ideas about the so-called ‘benefit’ but he did the right thing so we’ll cut him some slack this time, right?)
… along with former Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb, Peter Aldous, Jason McCartney, Anne Marie Morris and Matthew Offord.
Personally, This Writer thought their decision was more impressive when contrasted with the behaviour of whoever writes the official @Conservatives Twitter feed.
Before the vote, a message appeared there, saying
Keir Starmer wants to scrap universal credit, withdrawing vital support from millions of people.
Experts say Labour’s plan would would [sic] be disruptive and cause chaos.
Conservatives are investing £7.4bn to help those who need it most.
It is a sickening distortion of the facts, as Peter Stefanovic makes clear:
Ahead of today’s vote Conservatives are tweeting “Keir Starmer wants to scrap universal credit, withdrawing vital support from millions of people”
It’s fake news using an edited clip
Let’s make sure people know the truth👇 https://t.co/aUwd468pYP
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) January 18, 2021
But wait! The plot thickens:
Ending the £20 Universal Credit uplift is completely unacceptable. But in an attempt to appease critics Chancellor Sunak is considering giving six million people a one-off payment of £500.
— Samuel Miller (@Hephaestus7) January 18, 2021
He is.
Universal Credit families could get £500 payment if weekly benefit is slashed – Mirror Onlinehttps://t.co/Vem5Yz7odu
— Samuel Miller (@Hephaestus7) January 18, 2021
That’s like paying them the uplift for 25 weeks, all at once – and it’s a dangerous thing to do.
The people receiving it are in dire straits financially. That’s a given, because otherwise they would not be on benefits.
They probably got into debt while waiting the mandatory five weeks before payment of UC began, and probably took out the advance loan of UC that is offered to people in that situation.
This means those who did this have been receiving less than even the government says they need on which to live, because they have to pay off that loan.
Now suppose they get that £500 payout. What do you think they’ll do with it?
They’ll pay off their debts and treat themselves with some – or all – of what’s left, most likely. It’s a relief reaction: “We’ve got some money; let’s enjoy it.”
And then they’ll find themselves back trying to make ends meet on UC – with £20 a week less on which to live. In fact, if they do pay off the debt, they’ll probably be in more or less exactly the same position as they are now.
And let’s just put this into context:
A reminder, while the Tory Government are planning to cut the #UniversalCredit uplift of £20 per week.
An unelected Lord gets paid £1525 per week.#CancelTheCut— LC (@LuvFB_HateFifa) January 18, 2021
That’s right. The sum we’re discussing is less than one-third of the amount a member of the House of Lords gets, simply for turning up.
Finally, let’s be clear about what Universal Credit is.
BBC's Laura Kuenssberg used the the word "generous" while describing universal credit. This an opinion and not evidence-based journalism. It gives the distinct impression people receiving the payment, should be "grateful" @BBCr4today
— Joseph Dickerson (@joekaren46) January 18, 2021
Grateful?
That would be hugely overstating the obligation, considering we all fund UC with our taxes. And what do claimants of the so-called benefit get in return?
See for yourself, if you can bear it:
https://twitter.com/a4ehighpark1/status/1351148430765269001
https://twitter.com/a4ehighpark1/status/1351150428680048643
https://twitter.com/a4ehighpark1/status/1351151682340708356
Labour does want to scrap Universal Credit – because it is a diabolical travesty of social security.
But Labour wants to replace it with something better. That can’t happen at the moment because we have a Tory government, with ministers who put forward the view of it that Robert Halfon expressed (above).
Retaining the £20 per week uplift is the least those Tories can do.
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Iv emailed my MP but she’s doing whot I asked I just hope more do so but u c must be dropped RTU IDs stick to beat the unemployed the workers anyone who claims a benefit don’t forget child working tax they all bring you under their guise of helping you
Why should the fascist tories give £20 extra a week to women and men who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus? Given thousands and thousands of women and men were receiving the pittance called ‘universal credit’ before the coronavirus pandemic occurred and they were demanding adequate financial support but the fascist tory boys ignored their plight!
Fascist tories have deliberately insulted the non-humans who were claiming universal credit before the coronavirus pandemic! Why are those women and men who have lost their jobs due to fascist tories’ deliberate mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic so special? Answer is because these women and men are die hard tories and fascist tory boys need their votes!
No need to give the ‘scroungers’ £20 increase – they can all survive on the pittance fascist tories award them! This is what the fascist tories believe and all the hype about £20 extra a week is a fascist tory distraction again – instead of fascist tories ‘granting the scroungers a temporary increase the universal credit system must be abolished and replaced with real financial support for impoverished women and men!