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Universal Credit Emergency
Published on September 7, 2021 by Felix J Levay

 
Dear friend of OMA, 

We are writing to ask for your help.

The government is proposing to cut Universal Credit by £20 a week. If this happens, the most at-risk people in Oxford will see their annual income reduced by £1,040 overnight.

The last two years have devastated families across Oxford.  We have seen an unprecedented crisis among the most vulnerable members of our community, and the damage done by Covid-19 is not going away.

With the furlough scheme ending and fuel prices increasing, the proposed cuts to Universal Credit will push many families beyond the point of no return. 

It is hard to convey how devastating this will be. It is cruel, counterproductive, and poses an immediate risk to the health of Oxford residents. 

As part of the Independent Food Aid Network, Oxford Mutual Aid is calling for this dangerous cut to be abandoned. We will continue to do everything we can to help people in Oxford. But, like other voluntary organisations, we are not a replacement for a humane and rational welfare policy. 

OMA has already been stretched beyond our maximum capacity. The proposed cuts to Universal Credit will create a huge increase in the number of people in need of our help, and we simply will not be able to meet it. 

If you value the work OMA does, please help us by emailing your MP and urging them to do everything they can to resist the cuts to Universal Credit. You may wish to use the IFAN template. Because time is of the essence, it may be easier to simply ring your MP and leave them a message.

We need to put as much pressure on each individual MP, regardless of their party, to resist these dangerous cuts to Universal Credit. 

If you live in Oxford, your MP is either:

Anneliese Dodds

Phone:  01865 595790
Email:  [email protected]

Layla Moran

Phone:   01235 522535
Email:  [email protected]
 
Many thanks,

The Oxford Mutual Aid team