Universal Credit should offer support to anyone who needs it, but right now it’s not providing enough income to cover the cost of life’s essentials such as food, household bills and travel costs, with around five in six low-income households receiving Universal Credit going without.
The basic rate of Universal Credit should at least cover these core costs. But it is not currently set according to any objective assessment of the price of essentials and from April it will only be £85 a week for a single adult. Often people receive even less as they face deductions from their support which are automatically taken at unaffordable rates, for example to pay off debts to the government. Over half the people at food banks are facing these kinds of reductions at the very moment when they most need help. How can it be right that the very system which was created to support us when we face challenging times is pushing people deeper into hardship?
We can’t always deal with what life throws at us on our own, which is why Universal Credit should protect people from going without the essentials at the very least. That means implementing an ‘Essentials Guarantee’ which would ensure everyone has a protected minimum amount of support to afford life’s essentials.
Will you join us in calling on the UK government to guarantee our essentials? You can make a difference – sign the petition now. Find out more about the campaign here.
