'You're not levelling up people on Universal Credit, are you?'

6 October 2021, 22:21 | Updated: 6 October 2021, 22:33

'You're not levelling up for people on Universal Credit, are you?': Iain Dale challenges Tory MP

This is the moment Iain Dale put a Tory MP on the spot over the Government's £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit.

The £20-a-week Universal Credit uplift was today cut, after being introduced to help people at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tory MP Jill Mortimer, speaking to LBC's Iain Dale, said: "The only people who level down are the Labour Party. We're levelling everybody up."

Iain Dale responded by asking: "Well, you're not levelling up everybody on Universal Credit, are you? [They're] losing £20-a-week from today."

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Ms Mortimer replied by saying the £20-a-week Universal Credit "was always temporary".

She added: "It wasn't targeted. Everybody on Universal Credit got it.

"If we keep that, that's going to cost £6bn. Now where are we going to pay for that?

READ MORE: 'I know first hand just how difficult it can be to scrape by on Universal Credit'

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"[Are] you going to tax people? [Are[ you going to borrow it? The money we've got, we need to invest to create jobs.

"The way to get people off Universal Credit is to get them onto high-skilled, high-wage jobs."

"And [for] the people who will really struggle...we've got [£500 million] of extra money that we're putting in...to support the poorer families."

READ MORE: Caller explains stark reality he faces due to Universal Credit cut