469

of 1,000 signatures

To Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

On 2nd June 2023 civil servants were offered £1500 cost-of-living payment to break strikes deadlock. This was offered to the unions by Jeremy Quin in recognition of the pressures faced by officials last year. It was decided to make that payment in August 2023. Unfortunately because of when (the timing!) this payment was made, it now means that all civil servants who are on universal credit are not eligible to receive this cost-of-living payment. The government website reads ‘ You are eligible for the Cost of Living Payment of £300 if you were entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 18 August 2023 to 17 September 2023.’ The £900 approx after taxes payment received by these low paid civil servants means they were not entitled to any payments for that assessment period AND they will now also lose out on any cost-of-living payment essentially wiping out their entitlement to benefits. Unfortunately despite assurances, no solution seems to be in the pipeline.

Petition text

Without getting into the politics of this all or doubting the intentions behind this offer at the time, this now has to be made right. The expectation was that these payments were exempt from having any effect on existing benefits. Just like the DWP’s own cost-of-living payments do not reduce or stop anyone's benefits. Unfortunately some of the lowest paid civil servants, who are in receipt of Universal Credit, have been penalised due to the £1500 payment being seen as 'surplus earnings', leading to penalties and further hardship. The government’s cost of living payments, which millions of people received over the past year, were rightly exempt from tax and did not affect those in receipt of Universal Credit, therefore we believe that it is only fair that this lump sum payment is exempt too. According to the government website payment dates are between 31 October and 19 November 2023 for most people. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Mel Stride, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions are, therefore, requested to grant an ex-post facto approval so all civil servants on universal credit who did not receive their August payment can receive that. Also, that they do not miss out again on the upcoming cost-of-living payment because of the eligibility cited above.

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