Agenda item

Proposed by Councillor Chris Vince (seconded by Councillor Tony Edwards):

“Harlow Council recognises the significant financial impact on 11,000 plus Harlow residents of the decision of the Government to remove the Uplift provision for those on Universal Credit. Particularly when this comes at a time of rising inflation and soaring energy, fuel and food bills which hit hardest the poorest in society.

This Council will therefore:

     i)        Work with organisations such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Mind West Essex and others to monitor and further understand the impact the removal of the uplift will have on children, young people and those most vulnerable in our town;

    ii)        Keep under constant review how we as a Council can best direct support;

   iii)        Actively participate in the Kickstart Scheme and promote the scheme to  local employers; and

   iv)        Ask the Chief Finance Officer to write a letter on behalf of the Council to the Chancellor and Prime Minister requesting the government re-introduce the Universal Credit Uplift payment as a matter of urgency.”

Proposed by Councillor Chris Vince (seconded by Councillor Tony Edwards):

“Harlow Council recognises the significant financial impact on 11,000 plus Harlow residents of the decision of the Government to remove the Uplift provision for those on Universal Credit. Particularly when this comes at a time of rising inflation and soaring energy, fuel and food bills which hit hardest the poorest in society.

This Council will therefore:

     i)        Work with organisations such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Mind West Essex and others to monitor and further understand the impact the removal of the uplift will have on children, young people and those most vulnerable in our town;

    ii)        Keep under constant review how we as a Council can best direct support;

   iii)        Actively participate in the Kickstart Scheme and promote the scheme to  local employers; and

   iv)        Ask the Chief Finance Officer to write a letter on behalf of the Council to the Chancellor and Prime Minister requesting the government re-introduce the Universal Credit Uplift payment as a matter of urgency.”

Councillor Dan Swords (seconded by Councillor Gareth Williams) proposed that the motion was amended as follows:

“Harlow Council recognises the significant financial impact on 11,000 plus Harlow residents of the decision of the Government to remove the Uplift provision for those on Universal Credit. Particularly when this comes at a time of rising inflation and soaring energy, fuel and food bills which hit hardest the poorest in society.

This Council will therefore:

     i)        Work with organisations such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Mind West Essex and others to monitor and further understand the impact the removal of the uplift will have on children, young people and those most vulnerable in our town;

    ii)        Keep under constant review how we as a Council can best direct support;

   iii)        Recognise the enormous package of financial support the Prime Minister, Chancellor and HM Government put in place throughout the coronavirus pandemic and introduced in the 2021 Budget including: cutting the Universal Credit Taper Rate by 8%; increasing the Work Allowances by £500 resulting in Harlow families keeping an extra £1,000 a year; a new £500 million Household Support Fund to help families with bills, food and clothing; the twelve year fuel duty freeze saving the average Harlow motorist £15 every time they fill up and £30 for small van drivers; increasing the National Living Wage next year by 6.6% resulting in a £1,000 pay rise for thousands of low paid Harlow residents; £200 million per year to run Free School Meal and Holiday Activity camp provision throughout school holidays to help thousands of young families in Harlow; ending the Public Sector Pay Freeze; providing over £250 million of support to Harlow businesses through grants and loans throughout the pandemic; the furlough scheme which protected over 19,000 jobs in Harlow; the Self-Employment Support Scheme which equated to £60 million of support for Harlow’s self-employed workers; the £407 billion the Government spent to support the nation through the pandemic; the wide ranging package of measures introduced in the 2021 Budget to support employment in Harlow; and

   iv)        Calls on this Council actively promote all of the measures in place to support Harlow families with the cost of living and actively participate in these schemes where it is possible for a local authority to do so, including by supporting job creation to ensure more Harlow families have secure, well-paid jobs.”

The amendment was agreed and became part of the substantive motion.

RESOLVED that the substantive motion, as amended, was carried.