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From The Socialist newspaper, 3 November 2021
Tory Universal Credit crumbs no solution to cost of living crisis
photo JJ Ellison/CC (Click to enlarge)
Tanis Belsham-Wray, Leeds Socialist Party
The £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit has left 4.4 million households around £1,000 a year worse off.
In a partial U-turn in the recent budget, the government announced changes to 'plug the gap'. The 'taper rate' has been decreased from 63p to 55p. In short, this means working households on Universal Credit will gain an extra 8p for every £1 earned. The change effects approximately 1.9 million households, so around half of those on Universal Credit. The other half get nothing but rising bills and prices.
In order to make up for the £20-a-week cut, a worker would need to earn an extra £250 a week. On a minimum wage of £8.91 an hour, this would equate to an extra 28 hours work a week!
The Tory budget did nothing to address the crisis of unaffordable childcare facing families. Working parents typically pay more than half of their wages towards nursery fees. The average cost of 50 hours of childcare in a nursery for a child under two is £13,700 a year.
Universal Credit only covers 85% of childcare, and this is paid in arrears. For many parents, especially those on a low income or Universal Credit, going to work means having less money. Often the responsibility to stay at home falls on women.
The Tories continue to grapple with the problem of worker shortages in the economy. This is no doubt made worse by parents not being able to afford to work.
To encourage working families with children to increase hours or go back to work, we need a fundamental change to the childcare system. Currently, large parts of preschool education are in the private sector, run for profit. These providers must be taken into public ownership and childcare fully funded for those who need it.
We need to demand employers pay a wage that families can live off. That means getting organised in trade unions to fight for a pay rise, and to demand free childcare for all and a minimum wage of £15 an hour.
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In The Socialist 3 November 2021:
COP26
Socialist change to end climate change
Fight for socialism to end climate destruction
COP26 begins - workers strike for pay
Campaigns news
Why I joined the Socialist Party
Fund the fight for a socialist world
Sheffield students tirelessly campaigning for socialist change
Hackney children's centres: Campaigners see through council deception
East London gentrification plans exposed
News
Fight for a real wage rise for all
Local government cuts set to continue - we need councillors prepared to fight
Fight for a £15-an-hour minimum wage and an end to youth rates
Water companies put profits before protecting our environment
Tories threaten arts students: we are prepared to fight back!
Tory Universal Credit crumbs no solution to cost of living crisis
Tory plans won't fix social care
Pay freeze lifted for civil servants - prepare now for the struggle for a decent rise
Workplace news
NEU: Strategy needed to bring members together to take national action
Oaks Park school strike spurred on by head's lies
Scunthorpe scaffs strike into fifth week
Unite leaflets supermarkets to build support for Weetabix fire and rehire strike
Fighting sexism
Sexism, safety and the profit system
International news
Sudan - mass protests and general strike against coup
Chile: International solidarity campaign to free political prisoners
Vaccine inequality - the ugly face of capitalism
Hunger strike in Calais for refugee rights
Protests against Sudan coup reach Britain
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2021