Advertisement
Politics

Kent Tories slammed over universal credit cut ‘sweepstake’

Kent councillor Paul Bartlett has apologised for saying Tory members had organised a sweepstake on when the universal credit cut would first be mentioned at a meeting.

Tory councillors in Kent reportedly ran a sweepstake on when the £20 universal credit cut would first be mentioned at a town hall meeting.

Speaking at a health overview and scrutiny meeting, Labour’s Cllr Karen Constantine said the £1,040 a year cut earlier this month would force many families into poverty. But her speech was interrupted by opposition members “groaning” in the chamber.

After Cllr Constantine finished talking, Tory councillor Paul Bartlett, who chairs the meeting, explained the reasoning for the interruption.

“The reason why you heard collective groans was because some colleagues have lost the sweepstake as to when the £20 universal credit would be mentioned at this meeting,” he said.

Cllr Constantine represents Ramsgate in Thanet, which has the second highest levels of child poverty in the south of England.

She told The Big Issue she was disgusted fellow elected politicians would joke about such an issue and labelled them “out of touch”.

Advertisement
Advertisement

“I was really shocked and very disheartened,” she said.

“It’s really insulting. These were serious issues we were discussing about a direct link between taking money away from people to buy decent food and the impact on their health and mental health.

“People are in these meetings to do work they are paid to do. They are completely out of touch – they think it’s insignificant enough to joke about.”

The Big Issue last month revealed the extent of poverty in areas of Kent. As of July, 156,233 people in the county were claiming universal credit – almost double the amount of claimants as before the pandemic began. They have now had their benefits cut by £1,040 a year.

Last week a teenager told The Big Issue she had to quit college following the cut because she could no longer afford a bus pass.

And nearly a third of disabled claimants – around a million people – say they are “very likely” to have to skip meals or go without heating this winter.

Cllr Paul Bartlett said: “I very much regret the comment that I made during the meeting and apologise that the choice of words was insensitive.

“I would like to stress that I have the utmost sympathy for anyone struggling financially and that my comment was not, in any way, made in order to offend or upset anyone.

“The comment about universal credit was made in response to Cllr Constantine raising the issue of health outcomes for those on lower incomes – something that the health overview and scrutiny committee strives to address in everything we do.”

Advertisement

Change a vendor's life this Christmas

This Christmas, 3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty. Thousands of those struggling will turn to selling the Big Issue as a vital source of income - they need your support to earn and lift themselves out of poverty.

Recommended for you

Read All
'It could have been from Gordon Brown': Experts weigh in on how radical Labour's budget really is
Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares for the autumn budget 2024
Autumn budget

'It could have been from Gordon Brown': Experts weigh in on how radical Labour's budget really is

'We want a society that works for everyone': These millionaires want Rachel Reeves to tax them more
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been urged to extend rough sleeping funding to help homelessness services
Wealth tax

'We want a society that works for everyone': These millionaires want Rachel Reeves to tax them more

Real change or austerity 2.0? Here's how Labour can deliver a budget that works for everyone
Autumn budget

Real change or austerity 2.0? Here's how Labour can deliver a budget that works for everyone

What Tory leader hopefuls Badenoch and Jenrick think about poverty, benefits, housing and more
Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick
Politics

What Tory leader hopefuls Badenoch and Jenrick think about poverty, benefits, housing and more

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue