Stuart McDonald MP for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Therese Coffey MP, in the hope the deductions can be reduced.
And that’s because around 3,000 families in his constituency face critical financial pressure on a daily basis due to the deductions, according to figures recently released by The Child Poverty Action Group. Those affected are already grappling with the cost of living crisis, with the Office for National Statistics recently announcing that inflation has hit a 40-year high of 9%.
And the Scottish National Party man wants the matter dealt with immediately.
The most popular
Mr McDonald said: ‘It is completely unacceptable that the UK Government is making it difficult for families by deducting from their Universal Credit payments instead of supporting them.
“We are eager to act on this – it is affecting families now and they need support now. The government is far too hesitant to provide support and is now actively collecting from 3,000 local households.
“The UK government should act now and end the automatic Universal Credit deductions that are hitting families hard.”
A government spokesperson said: ‘We are carefully balancing our support for claimants with our duty to protect taxpayers’ money, so we have further reduced the cap on Universal Credit deductions and suspended the Fuel Direct scheme which allows payments of energy bills directly on services.
“Safeguards are in place to ensure deductions are manageable and customers can contact DWP to discuss their refunds if they encounter difficulties.
“We recognize the pressures on the cost of living and we are doing what we can to help, including spending £22billion over the next financial year to support people, and for those hardest hit, our recovery fund. household support is there to help with the cost of everyday essentials. »