On Monday in Parliament Gerald Jones, Labour MP for Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney, urged the UK Government to stop its plan to cut Universal Credit by over £1,000 a year, or £20 a week, which will hit 6,750 families in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney.

Labour forced a vote in the House of Commons on Monday to scrap the cut and support crucial family incomes during the pandemic, with Gerald speaking out against the proposals during the debate and calling on the Government to rethink its plan urgently, as 6,750 families in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency are currently relying on this crucial support just to get by.

339 Conservative MPs failed to support Labour’s motion to give families certainty and stop the cut, which is equivalent to the cost of an average family’s annual electricity, gas and internet bills combined.

Speaking in the debate in Parliament, Gerald said: 

“In Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney alone, this cut will mean a £7.8 million per annum loss to the local economy.

 

“We all remember when the Chancellor said at the start of the pandemic that the Government would do “whatever it takes” to support people through this crisis. How hollow those words sound now.

 

“Not only have the Government created the worst recession in any major economy, but they are now failing to take action to stop children and families going hungry. I hope that the Minister will tell us today what it will take for the Government to get real, see sense and stop this callous cut to the most vulnerable families in the country.”

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