{"id":309588,"date":"2021-09-13T15:35:38","date_gmt":"2021-09-13T15:35:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/?p=1479664"},"modified":"2021-09-13T15:35:38","modified_gmt":"2021-09-13T15:35:38","slug":"dwp-boss-lies-about-universal-credit-cut-live-on-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/09\/13\/dwp-boss-lies-about-universal-credit-cut-live-on-tv\/","title":{"rendered":"DWP boss \u2018lies\u2019 about Universal Credit cut live on TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) boss Th\u00e9r\u00e8se Coffey sparked anger on Monday 13 September after appearing on BBC Breakfast<\/em>. She was talking<\/a> about the Tories’ \u00a320 a week cut to Universal Credit<\/a>, and one of her comments stood out. That’s because people accused her of either lying or not understanding the social security system.<\/p>\n

Universal Credit chaos<\/h5>\n

As\u00a0The Canary<\/em>\u00a0previously\u00a0reported<\/a>, in April 2020 the DWP increased Universal Credit by \u00a320 a week. This was due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. But chancellor Rishi Sunak and the DWP only made the increase temporary. From 6 October, the Tories will cut \u00a320 a week from Universal Credit claimants.<\/p>\n

This cut will\u00a0hit<\/a>\u00a0various people hard, including 660,000 low-paid key workers, 3.4 million children, and six out of ten lone parent families. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) warned that:<\/p>\n

Half a million more people are set to be pulled into poverty, including 200,000 children.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But so far, the DWP has\u00a0refused<\/a> to budge. Most recently, as The Canary<\/em> reported<\/a>, even the government’s own analysis shows that homelessness, poverty, and foodbank use will all rise because of the cut. Yet on 13 September, Coffey was still defending the indefensible.<\/p>\n

Coffey: defending the indefensible<\/h5>\n

She was on BBC Breakfast<\/em> essentially telling those affected by the cut to work more. She said:<\/p>\n

\u00a320 a week is about two hours extra work every week. We’ll be seeing what we can do to help people perhaps secure those extra hours.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Coffey then rambled about the \u00a320 a week being a “temporary uplift”. So suck it up, poor people:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

"\u00a320 a week is about two hours extra work every week, we will be seeing what we can do help people perhaps secure those extra hours\u201d<\/p>\n

On #BBCBreakfast<\/a> Work and Pension Secretary Th\u00e9r\u00e8se Coffey says the increase to universal credit was always temporary.https:\/\/t.co\/tHeCXwNJyZ<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/RbZNtIn3PQ<\/a><\/p>\n

— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) September 13, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n