Government should #KeepTheLifeline

Immediate Release

• 77% of people seeking advice on benefits have never needed its support before
• 142% rise in number claiming Universal Credit in Reigate and Banstead since pandemic began

A local charity has warned of the “devastating impact” of a scheduled cut to Universal Credit in April.

Devastating impact

Staff and volunteers at Citizens Advice Reigate and Banstead (CARBS) have helped over 1400 people with Universal Credit since March last year.  77% of people in Reigate and Banstead seeking its advice on benefits have never contacted the charity before.

Citizens Advice Reigate and Banstead has continued to provide one-to-one support throughout the pandemic.  Advisers say many needing to apply for benefits have lost their job or suffered a fall in income as a result of the pandemic.

More hardship

Now they are warning that local families could be pushed further into hardship if the £20 a week uplift ends as planned in April.  For households in the South East of England, the loss of £20 a week is equivalent to over 2 days of food, or 6 days of energy.

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