Agenda item

This Council remains deeply concerned by the potentially devastating impact the full roll out of Universal Credit will have on vulnerable people and low income families in Leeds, despite the Chancellor’s recent budget announcement.

Council is appalled by reports that Universal Credit:

·  Exacerbates poverty and hardship, including child poverty

·  Makes low income working families poorer

·  Forces people to choose between food and rent

·  Places people into debt because of delayed payments

·  Leads to increased rent arrears for tenants in social housing

·  Makes it harder for victims of domestic violence to leave abusive relationships 

·  Disadvantages non-IT literate people

Council notes that Universal Credit is likely to impact 85,000 people/families in Leeds when fully rolled out, with 10,000 affected in the first 12 months.

Council therefore calls on the Government to stop the roll out of Universal Credit without delay.

It was moved by Councillor Coupar, seconded by Councillor Mulherin that this Council remains deeply concerned by the potentially devastating impact the full roll out of Universal Credit will have on vulnerable people and low income families in Leeds, despite the Chancellor’s recent budget announcement.

Council is appalled by reports that Universal Credit:

·  Exacerbates poverty and hardship, including child poverty

·  Makes low income working families poorer

·  Forces people to choose between food and rent

·  Places people into debt because of delayed payments

·  Leads to increased rent arrears for tenants in social housing

·  Makes it harder for victims of domestic violence to leave abusive relationships 

·  Disadvantages non-IT literate people

Council notes that Universal Credit is likely to impact 85,000 people/families in Leeds when fully rolled out, with 10,000 affected in the first 12 months.

Council therefore calls on the Government to stop the roll out of Universal Credit without delay.

An amendment was moved by Councillor B Anderson, seconded by Councillor Robinson

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

committed to helping and supporting all the citizens of Leeds who may experience difficulties either claiming or whilst in receipt of Universal Credit and welcomes the recent funding announcement from Government that will see an additional £1.7bn per year invested into the programme.

Council is committed to liaising with local Jobcentres in Leeds to ensure the right support at the right time whether that is help to claim or to meet their obligations in looking for work or to keep up rent payments or support to budget their household expenditure. We are committed to providing support to make sure that people are claiming everything they are entitled to during the time they have to be on Universal Credit.

This Council supports the overarching ambition of the Government to make work pay.

The amendment in the name of Councillor B Anderson was declared lost and upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED – That this Council remains deeply concerned by the potentially devastating impact the full roll out of Universal Credit will have on vulnerable people and low income families in Leeds, despite the Chancellor’s recent budget announcement.

Council is appalled by reports that Universal Credit:

·  Exacerbates poverty and hardship, including child poverty

·  Makes low income working families poorer

·  Forces people to choose between food and rent

·  Places people into debt because of delayed payments

·  Leads to increased rent arrears for tenants in social housing

·  Makes it harder for victims of domestic violence to leave abusive relationships 

·  Disadvantages non-IT literate people

Council notes that Universal Credit is likely to impact 85,000 people/families in Leeds when fully rolled out, with 10,000 affected in the first 12 months.

Council therefore calls on the Government to stop the roll out of Universal Credit without delay.

On the requisition of Councillors Lamb and Robinson the voting on the amendment in the name of Councillor B Anderson was recorded as follows;

YES – 21

B Anderson, C Anderson, Buckley, Amanda Carter, Andrew Carter, Cohen, Collins, Firth, Flynn, Harrington, M Harrison, Harrand, Lamb, P Latty, Robinson, Seary, Shemilt, Stephenson, J Taylor, Wadsworth and Wilkinson.

NO – 69

Akhtar, Almas, Arif, Bentley, Bithell, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Blake, Brooks, Bruce, Campbell, Carlill, Charlwood, Coupar, Dawson, Dobson, Field,  Dowson,  Drinkwater, Dye, Gabriel, Garner, Garthwaite, M Gibson, J Gibson, Golton, P Grahame, R Grahame, Groves, P Gruen, Hamilton, Harland, Harper, C Harrison, Hayden, Heselwood, Hussain, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jenkins, Khan, Knight, Lay, Lennox,  J Lewis, R Lewis, Lowe, Lyons, Maqsood, McCormack,  McKenna, Mulherin,  Nash, Pryor, Rafique, Ragan, Renshaw, Ritchie, Scopes, Shahzad, Smart, E Taylor,  Truswell, Tunnicliffe, Venner, Wakefield, Walshaw, Wenham and Wray.

ABSTAIN – 5

Elliott, Gettings, Hutchison, Kidger and Leadley

On the requisition of Councillors Lamb and Robinson the voting on the motion  in the name of Councillor Coupar was recorded as follows;

YES – 69

Akhtar, Almas, Arif, Bentley, Bithell, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Blake, Brooks, Bruce, Campbell, Carlill, Charlwood, Coupar, Dawson, Dobson, Field,  Dowson,  Drinkwater, Dye, Gabriel, Garner, Garthwaite, M Gibson, J Gibson, Golton, P Grahame, R Grahame, Groves, P Gruen, Hamilton, Harland, Harper, C Harrison, Hayden, Heselwood, Hussain, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jenkins, Khan, Knight, Lay, Lennox,  J Lewis, R Lewis, Lowe, Lyons, Maqsood, McCormack,  McKenna, Mulherin,  Nash, Pryor, Rafique, Ragan, Renshaw, Ritchie, Scopes, Shahzad, Smart, E Taylor,  Truswell, Tunnicliffe, Venner, Wakefield, Walshaw, Wenham and Wray.

NO – 21

B Anderson, C Anderson, Buckley, Amanda Carter, Andrew Carter, Cohen, Collins, Firth, Flynn, Harrington, M Harrison, Harrand, Lamb, P Latty, Robinson, Seary, Shemilt, Stephenson, J Taylor, Wadsworth and Wilkinson.

ABSTAIN – 5

Elliott, Gettings, Hutchison, Kidger and Leadley