An East Riding councillor is set to call for a £20 increase in Universal Credit during the coronavirus pandemic to be made permanent ahead of its expected end in April.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Viv Padden’s motion would see East Riding Council write to Chancellor Rishi Sunak to keep the weekly rise if passed at a meeting on Wednesday, February 24.
Councillor Padden said the plight of residents and families during the pandemic with many claiming benefits for the first time was the reason behind the move.
He added he had seen a rise in food bank usage through his work collecting supplies for them and witnessed the pandemic’s financial impact first hand during home visits.
Cllr Mike Stathers, East Riding’s Conservative deputy leader, said his party would not oppose the motion.
But he added the Liberal Democrat opposition had voted against his party’s budget which included a £3m hardship fund for local families during a meeting last week.
It comes as the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed 8,695 people were claiming Universal Credit or Job Seekers’ Allowance in the East Riding as of November.
The total, equal to 4.4 per cent of its working age population, is almost double the 4,435 or 2.3 per cent total of claimants recorded in November 2019.
Cllr Padden said the pandemic had left many residents, some who had never before claimed benefits, relying on Universal Credit as a “lifeline”.
The councillor said:
“Residents have suffered as a result of the pandemic, not just single households but also families.
“They’re relying on Universal Credit now, and on the £20 weekly increase and when the pandemic is over they’re going to trying to get back into work but will still need financial support.
“Some of them may not be able to get a job at all.
“I find that many of our residents are very proud and it’s difficult for them to ask for help for things like getting food, they feel belittled.
“I’ve seen them when I’ve gone round and delivered food to them, and I’ve also noticed that where there might have been a one year old car in the driveway before, now there’s nothing because they can’t afford to keep it.
“The other issue is that if people find a job the Department for Work and Pensions cut Universal Credit payments off almost straight away.
“But if they then find they try to get back into the system they have to start from the beginning and that can take up to six months to process.
“So I’m hoping this motion will pass and we can write to the Chancellor to keep the uplift or even increase it further.”
Cllr Stathers said he questioned the opposition’s commitment to struggling residents given their budget opposition.
The deputy leader said:
“We have spoken about this motion as a group and I don’t see us voting against it.
“I know from councillor colleagues that there are serious concerns for struggling families at the moment, particularly in more urban areas.
“Our group has demonstrated its commitment to those residents with our hardship fund, but the Liberal Democrats voted against it.”
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