The United Reformed Church (URC) joined 14 food poverty charities and church leaders in urging the government to create a £2 billion budget investment to help fix Universal Credit.

On 16 October a letter was hand delivered to Theresa May, the Prime Minister, and Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer, urging them to take action and fix the policy.

The signatories – including Mr Derek Estill, Moderator of the URC General Assembly, Faireshare, the Trussell Trust, Church Action on Poverty, and the Child Poverty Action group – all members of the End Hunger UK campaign (a coalition that has a vision of a UK where everyone has access to good food, and nobody has to go to bed hungry), said in the letter: ‘We all rely on the welfare safety net being there for us in times of financial stress or hardship.

‘But for many, Universal Credit is currently failing in that task. In areas where it has been rolled out, foodbanks and other food aid providers report an increase in demand, with more people pushed into debt, destitution and hunger as a result of delays, errors, a lack of flexibility, and inadequate support.

‘We still believe that there is an opportunity to fix Universal Credit to prevent more people going hungry. As a matter of urgency, we would encourage you to:

• Reinvest in Universal Credit, by committing at least an additional £2 billion in the forthcoming Budget to reverse cuts and freezes
• Act to improve the flexibility and support for people on Universal Credit.
• Make improvements to Universal Credit, to ensure it does not leave more people at risk of debt and destitution.
• Make a long-term commitment to ensure Universal Credit provides people with enough income to afford good food on a regular basis.’

Mr Niall Cooper, Director of Church Action on Poverty, added: ‘It is not right that a welfare policy is currently dragging many people into deeper poverty and hunger. We need urgent government action and investment to redress this.’

The call was issued ahead End Hunger UK’s conference in Westminster, where charities, emergency food providers and people with direct experience of food poverty set out their vision for a society in which everyone has access to good food and discuss potential policies to make that a reality. 

The charities, and local churches within which many foodbanks are based, have heard many stories of Universal Credit leading to debt, destitution and hunger, including people waiting months for their first payment. 

The specific recommendations for action to fix Universal Credit are based on feedback from more than 70 frontline food aid organisations who have seen at first hand the impact that the rollout of Universal Credit has had on the people they support on a daily or weekly basis.

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