Keep the Lifeline
Join us in trying to stop the biggest overnight cut to social security
since the Second World War.
Over a million people fear they will be forced to skip meals and switch off their heating this winter as the UK government plans to cut Universal Credit payments by £20 a week from next month.
It would be wrong of the government to take away £20 a week from their already precarious incomes and push even more families through the doors of food banks this October.
But it doesn’t have to be like this.
We need the UK government to stop the cut and choose to protect people when they need support.
We can’t do this alone – we need your voice to make the UK government listen.
We need to be as vocal as possible if we want the UK government to change direction and it is only with a huge amount of public pressure that we will be successful. We have a small window of opportunity before October to try and protect millions of households already struggling to make ends meet.
“It’s the difference between being able to have the heating on when I need it or not. Also, between me having meals or just my child.”
Jasmine
Together, change is possible.
Your support can make all the difference.
New research conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Trussell Trust found that, for people claiming Universal Credit, the £20 a week cut could have the following impact:
1 in 10 people
say they are ‘very likely’ to not be able to cook food because they wouldn’t be able to afford to use an oven.
1 in 5 people
say they are ‘very likely’ to need to skip meals.
1 in 5 people
say they will struggle to heat their homes this winter.
We can’t let this happen. Please help us make the UK government listen.
“Losing £20 a week would mean that I would have difficulty and have to choose between heating or eating! It would have a dramatic effect on my life and my mental health.”
Lynda
Social security should be strong enough for all of us to rely on when we need a lifeline – because, as the pandemic has shown us, life is full of things we can’t plan for.
For the average person on Universal Credit, the cut represents a loss of 13% of income, and for some families the figure will be as high as 21%.
Families who worry about putting food on the table, day in and day out. Families who are already caught in impossible situations where their only option is to either feed their children or heat their home. Families who are nearly at breaking point but just about managing to keep their heads above water.
That’s why we’re saying this October, the UK government must choose to protect people when they need support, not cut them adrift. Choose a social security system that helps people afford the basics in life – like food and heating. Choose to keep the lifeline.
We need to act now, together,
to make a difference.
How you can help
Download our Keep the Lifeline toolkit.
You’ll find everything you need to raise awareness and make your voice heard.
If you have 1 minute
Please use our online tool to email your local MP. All you need to do is enter your name, email and postcode (so we can find your local MP) and then click send. It’s never been easier to make your voice count.
If you have 5 minutes
Please watch our new campaign video and share on social media either using the buttons below the video or by using our digital toolkit.
If you have up to 10 minutes
Take a selfie with a £20 note and share on social media this afternoon with the hashtags #20QuidCan and #KeepTheLifeline. This will help launch our engagement campaign to help share how important £20 is. You can find out more about #20QuidCan in the digital toolkit.
If you receive, or have received, Universal Credit
If you have experience of Universal Credit, you can add your voice to the campaign by sharing how the planned cut of £20 a week would affect you. Find out more by checking out our Share Your Story page.