Here's when you face losing your Universal Credit uplift in Portsmouth

An increase of £20 was put in place at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and has given those who are struggling a vital financial lifeline.

Thousands of people across Portsmouth receive Universal Credit, either as their full income or as a supplementary benefit while working, and the cut back will impact them severely.

According to government data from May 2021, 31,544 in the Portsmouth local authority gain payments each month, and will be affected by it’s decrease.

From the same government source, roughly 4,249,315 million households gain the benefit across the UK as of the same month.

Despite the opposition, the uplift is set to be taken away from Wednesday.

But when will the change affect you personally?

Households will be hit by the reduction automatically from when they next receive their benefits.

Numerous lockdowns as a result of the pandemic have caused a drastic increase in claimants across the UK, and it will be the first time for many where these benefits will change.

There are a number of national and local services listed on Portsmouth City Council’s website that offer advice and financial support to those who need it.

Advisory services such as Citizens Advice and Advice Portsmouth offer information and support to those on Universal Credit in Portsmouth and the surrounding area.

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Topics such as handling debt and employment rights can be covered with them.

Utility companies are also listed, with Portsmouth Water offer reduced bills to those struggling and Southern Water even offering a customer hardship fund to those under significant financial pressure.

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