Agenda item

This Council calls on the Government to cancel the £20 cut to Universal Credit that will hit over 70,000 people in Leeds, including many in low-income jobs, at a time when the cost of food in shops and supermarkets has increased by 8% already this year.

It was moved by Councillor Harland, seconded by Councillor Smart that this Council calls on the Government to cancel the £20 cut to Universal Credit that will hit over 70,000 people in Leeds, including many in low-income jobs, at a time when the cost of food in shops and supermarkets has increased by 8% already this year.

An amendment was moved by Councillor D Blackburn, seconded by Councillor A Blackburn

Add “and energy bills are due to rise” to the end of the final sentence.  The amended White Paper would then read:

“This Council calls on the Government to cancel the £20 cut to Universal Credit that will hit over 70,000 people in Leeds, including many in low-income jobs, at a time when the cost of food in shops and supermarkets has increased by 8% already this year and energy bills are due to rise.”

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Bentley, seconded by Councillor Lay

Insert further paragraph:

“The Council further calls on the Government to undertake a review and reform of Universal Credit which will deal with the financial hardships caused by:

·  the five week waiting period,

·  the lack of a second-earner work allowance and

·  insufficient support for self-employed claimants”

The amended White Paper will then read:

“This Council calls on the Government to cancel the £20 cut to Universal Credit that will hit over 70,000 people in Leeds, including many in low-income jobs, at a time when the cost of food in shops and supermarkets has increased by 8% already this year.

The Council further calls on the Government to undertake a review and reform of Universal Credit which will deal with the financial hardships caused by:

·  the five week waiting period,

·  the lack of a second-earner work allowance and

·  insufficient support for self-employed claimants”

A third amendment was moved by Councillor Lamb, seconded by Councillor Buckley

Delete all after “This Council” and replace with:

“supports the aims and ambitions behind Universal Credit to encourage people back into work and make work pay for families in Leeds and across the country.

“Council notes that families and businesses have benefited from unprecedented levels of additional support to help protect jobs and assist with living costs during the worst stages of the pandemic, including through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and grants and loans for businesses.

“Council regrets that the administration in Leeds opted, over this same time period, to increase council tax in 2020 and 2021, creating additional financial burdens, particularly for low income families. Conversely the government provided millions of pounds of grant funding to Leeds to deliver financial support, including reduced council tax bills, to economically vulnerable residents.

“This Council welcomes the Government’s £33bn Plan for Jobs, which focuses on protecting, supporting and creating jobs as the economy reopens, giving people the skills and opportunities they need to succeed through schemes including Kickstart, Restart and apprenticeships.”

The amendments in the name of Councillors D Blackburn and Bentley were declared carried, the amendment moved by Councillor Lamb was declared lost and upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED – That this Council calls on the Government to cancel the £20 cut to Universal Credit that will hit over 70,000 people in Leeds, including many in low-income jobs, at a time when the cost of food in shops and supermarkets has increased by 8% already this year.

The Council further calls on the Government to undertake a review and reform of Universal Credit which will deal with the financial hardships caused by:

·  the five week waiting period,

·  the lack of a second-earner work allowance and

·  insufficient support for self-employed claimants.

On the requisition of Councillors Lennox and Pryor the voting on the substantive motion was recorded as follows;

YES – 63

Akhtar, Almas, Arif, Bentley, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Brooks, Burke, Carlill, Chapman, Charlwood, Coupar, Cunningham, Dobson, Downes, Dowson, Dye, Field, Finnigan, Flint, Gabriel, Garthwaite, Gettings, Gibson, Goddard, Golton, P Grahame, Groves, C Gruen, Harland, Hart-Brooke, Hayden, Heselwood, Z Hussain, Hutchison, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jenkins, Lay, Lennox, Lewis, Maqsood, Marshall-Katung, Martin, McCormack, McKenna, Midgley, Mulherin, Nash, Pryor, Rafique, Ragan, Renshaw, Ritchie, Scopes, Shahzad, Sharpe, Smart, E Taylor, Truswell, Venner, Walshaw and Wray.

NO – 1

R Grahame

ABSTAIN  - 0