Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the estimated £20 million that the economy of Tameside will lose as a result of the suspension of the universal credit uplift.
The government has always been clear that the £20 per week increase to Universal Credit was a temporary measure to support households whose incomes and earnings were affected by the economic shock of Covid-19.
Now that the economy has reopened, the government is focusing on supporting people to move into and progress in work through the comprehensive Plan for Jobs. The £2 billion Kickstart scheme will create 250,000 new, fully subsidised jobs for young people, and the new three-year Restart programme will provide intensive and tailored support to over one million unemployed Universal Credit claimants.
At Spring Budget, the government announced policies that will benefit places most in need, including additional funding for skills and job support and the first round of the £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund. Furthermore, 11 local authorities – including Tameside - in the North West will be priority places for the £220 million Community Renewal Fund, which will invest in people, communities and businesses across the UK. The government will announce successful bids in due course.