Agenda item

This Council is appalled to learn that in the first year of Universal Credit being rolled out to single unemployed people in Leeds, 25% of recipients were hit with sanctions. It is therefore of great concern that 50,000 current Housing Benefit claimants and 55,000 current Tax Credit claimants are due to transfer to Universal Credit by June 2018.

Council further notes the devastating impact of Universal Credit in areas where the benefit has been fully rolled out, particularly on families with children. Half of all council tenants across 105 local authorities who receive the housing element of universal credit are at least a month behind on their rent, with 30% two months behind.

Council is concerned a further damaging effect of Universal Credit is its impact on determining the eligibility of children from deprived backgrounds for Free School Meals, as well as an element of the Pupil Premium, meaning the risk of further cuts to vital Government funding and support for these children.

This Council therefore calls on government to immediately pause the roll-out of Universal Credit in order to prevent potentially significant hardship for thousands of Leeds residents, including families with children, and rethink its approach to welfare reform.

It was moved by Councillor D Coupar, seconded by Councillor Smart that this Council is appalled to learn that in the first year of Universal Credit being rolled out to single unemployed people in Leeds, 25% of recipients were hit with sanctions. It is therefore of great concern that 50,000 current Housing Benefit claimants and 55,000 current Tax Credit claimants are due to transfer to Universal Credit by June 2018.

Council further notes the devastating impact of Universal Credit in areas where the benefit has been fully rolled out, particularly on families with children. Half of all council tenants across 105 local authorities who receive the housing element of universal credit are at least a month behind on their rent, with 30% two months behind.

Council is concerned a further damaging effect of Universal Credit is its impact on determining the eligibility of children from deprived backgrounds for Free School Meals, as well as an element of the Pupil Premium, meaning the risk of further cuts to vital Government funding and support for these children.

This Council therefore calls on government to immediately pause the roll-out of Universal Credit in order to prevent potentially significant hardship for thousands of Leeds residents, including families with children, and rethink its approach to welfare reform.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Finnigan, seconded by Councillor Leadley

Remove everything after This Council and replace with

This Council supports the principles behind the introduction of Universal Credit along with the rights and responsibilities its introduction brings.

This Council supports the proposals from Labour MP Frank Field to improve Universal Credit which include payment fortnightly in arrears (as with other benefits) and the removal of the rent element from all payments of Universal Credit with such rent payments to be returned to the standard housing benefit system.

A second amendment was moved by Councillor B Anderson, seconded by Councillor Stephenson

Delete all after: ‘This Council’ and replace with:

‘notes with concern the impact universal credit has had with regard to rental arrears and believes that delays in payment should be kept to an absolute minimum in order to ensure that claimants are able to make timely payments of their rent under the new system.

This Council believes that the best way to break cycles of deprivation in Leeds is to encourage as many people back into the workplace as possible and notes the success achieved by the current and last Government in driving down unemployment rates in Leeds and nationwide.

Council is disappointed to see that the ruling administration appears content to allow the continuation of cycles of deprivation and worklessness that have left some communities in Leeds in the bottom 5% nationally in terms of levels of deprivation.

This Council supports the introduction of universal credit as a tool that will encourage more people back into work and increase social mobility.’

The amendments in the name of Councillors Finnigan and B Anderson were declared lost and upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED – That this Council is appalled to learn that in the first year of Universal Credit being rolled out to single unemployed people in Leeds, 25% of recipients were hit with sanctions. It is therefore of great concern that 50,000 current Housing Benefit claimants and 55,000 current Tax Credit claimants are due to transfer to Universal Credit by June 2018.

Council further notes the devastating impact of Universal Credit in areas where the benefit has been fully rolled out, particularly on families with children. Half of all council tenants across 105 local authorities who receive the housing element of universal credit are at least a month behind on their rent, with 30% two months behind.

Council is concerned a further damaging effect of Universal Credit is its impact on determining the eligibility of children from deprived backgrounds for Free School Meals, as well as an element of the Pupil Premium, meaning the risk of further cuts to vital Government funding and support for these children.

This Council therefore calls on government to immediately pause the roll-out of Universal Credit in order to prevent potentially significant hardship for thousands of Leeds residents, including families with children, and rethink its approach to welfare reform.