A BRADFORD MP said the Government's planned £20 a week cut to Universal Credit would "plunge thousands of people into poverty" last night.

Imran Hussain, MP for Bradford East, was speaking during Labour's debate calling for the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit brought in during the Covid-19 pandemic to remain.

The Government is planning to scrap the boost in April, which would cost thousands of working families living in poverty £1,000 in support over the year.

Mr Hussain spoke during the debate, explaining 13,000 households in Bradford East and 50,000 across the district currently rely on Universal Credit to make ends meet,  with almost 19,000 of these households with children.

He said: “During what is the worst recession for 300 years, it simply makes no sense for the Government to be cutting Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits for some of the most vulnerable families.

"I cannot be clearer about how damaging this cut would be for Bradford, with families already teetering on the edge dragged into poverty.

“During the Coronavirus pandemic, we have also seen many more families who never expected to need support now finding themselves reliant on Universal Credit because they were shut out of financial support schemes.

"In many cases, these families have joined others across Bradford who have lost almost everything.

“Instead of leaving families in limbo at an already uncertain time when they don’t know how they will put food on the table, keep a roof over their head or heat their homes from one week to the next, the Government must keep the extra £20 a week for low-income families, and give some much-needed financial security.”

The Conservative Government ordered its MPs to abstain on the vote, with only six rebelling and voting with the Labour Opposition calling for the uplift to remain.

Despite being members of the Northern Research Group, which yesterday said the planned cut would be "devastating for millions of families", Bradford Tories Philip Davies (Shipley) and Robbie Moore (Keighley), as well as Calder Valley's Craig Whittaker, towed the party line and didn't vote.

Pudsey's Stuart Andrew and Skipton's Julian Smith both also abstained.