Siobhán Harding (Policy worker with our Consortium Partner organisation Women’s Support Network) continues to work with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and a coalition of other organisations on the Keep the Lifeline campaign.  The purpose of this campaign is to keep the pressure on Westminster Government not to cut the £20 per week increase to Universal Credit which is scheduled to end in October 2021.

As part of this work JRF are working to raise awareness of the forthcoming cut and are encouraging as many people as possible who will be affected by the cut to contact their local MPs.  There are concerns that MPs are not hearing about this issue despite the fact that many of their constituents will be impacted by this cut.

Siobhán has written to the network of Women’s Centres across Northern Ireland and to the wider women’s sector to raise awareness of the cut and ask them to encourage the women and families who use their services to email their MPs about the impact this would have on their lives.  A template email was provided to make it easier for women to write to their MPs.

Siobhán will be working over the coming weeks on building up some local evidence of the negative impacts of a cut to Universal Credit on women.  It is vital that the voices of local women are reflected in the national debate around this issue.  Please get in touch with Siobhán at policy@wsn.org.uk if you know any women who would be willing to speak about the impact of a cut to their Universal Credit including those women who are newly in receipt of Universal Credit since the pandemic. 

We produce monthly updates on our involvement with the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust Keep the Lifeline Campaign. You can read our previous update here.