Young people to be 'hit hardest' by end of Universal Credit uplift
Joe Lepper
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
The end of the temporary uplift in Universal Credit (UC) benefits next month will hit young people the hardest, according to analysis by Centrepoint.
The youth homelessness charity says claimants under the age of 25 are facing a weekly cut of 25.2 per cent to their UC standard allowance.
Meanwhile, claimants over the age of 25 face a weekly cut of 17 per cent, when the uplift of £20 ends in September.
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The disparity in cuts is due to age, says Centrepoint, with under 25s receiving less allowance than older claimants. Prior to the uplift, introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, younger claimants received £15 a week less than over 25s, it adds.
Centrepoint is also concerned young people have not been made aware of next month’s removal of the £20 temporary UC uplift.
It says it has not spoken to any young people who have been made aware of the changes by government.
Zhara, who is 21 and is being supported by the charity, said: “It’s come at a really bad time for me because I’ve been applying for so many jobs and not even getting to the interview stage and I plan to start a part-time course at college to better my job opportunities.
“I rely on Universal Credit to pay for food, travel costs and all my bills.
“£20 may not be much for people who are working full time, but for young people who are unable to get a job and don’t have enough to pay all their bills and buy groceries, we’re really stressed about it. We’re needy, not greedy."
Food or bills? 🍴💳
— Centrepoint (@centrepointuk) August 9, 2021
With the Universal Credit uplift ending, young people may be forced to choose between buying food and paying their bills. No one should have to make that decision. We think young people experiencing homelessness should be protected. 💔
“The end of the uplift is a double whammy for young people,” said Centrepoint’s government and parliamentary affairs lead Paul Noblet.
“Not only are they still facing huge youth unemployment but we’re asking them to do so with less financial support than other claimants despite often having the same living costs.
“It defies logic to limit Universal Credit based on a claimants’ age. Rent, bills and food don’t care what your date of birth is and it’s these essentials that our benefits system is meant to help cover.
“Losing a quarter of your weekly income overnight would be difficult for anyone to deal with but it will be especially challenging for those young people facing unemployment and potentially homelessness while claiming Universal Credit.
“Ministers should look at how best to support those young people as an urgent priority.”
In April the High Court granted claimants of Employment Support Allowance permission to challenge the government on its decision not to offer them the same uplift as those receiving UC. During the pandemic the uplift was not extended to so called "legacy benefits".