The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS)
reacted angrily to the budget today, declaring extra funding for
Universal Credit to be nothing more than a “sticking plaster over
a gaping wound.”
The union also labelled the Chancellor’s
commitment to ending austerity to be a “PR stunt” that flies in
the face of the reality of millions of peoples’
lives.
Chancellor contradicted the Prime
Minister’s commitment that austerity had come to an end by
instead saying, “austerity was coming to an
end.”
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka
said: “The budget will be spun as the government
listening to concerns over Universal Credit and austerity when
the policies put forward today are little more than a PR
stunt.
“Universal Credit has been a disaster for
claimants and the cash injection today will do nothing to deal
with the inherent structural problems that are blighting
thousands of lives. The Chancellor is trying to put a
sticking plaster over a gaping wound.
“Hammond has taken no notice of the damming
indictment from the Public Accounts Committee which has just
labelled ministers’ responsible for Universal Credit as having a
“culture of indifference” to the damage being done to
communities, with increased debt, rent arrears and a huge
upsurge in food bank use.
“Austerity has not ended for those working in
the civil service and related areas. The staff who will implement
Brexit, collect tax and help the unemployed have had 10 years of
real terms pay cuts. There was nothing in this budget for them
today.
“For those in the wider economy, whose average
weekly earnings are lower than 10 years ago, the Chancellor has
merely offered them crumbs from the top
table.
“Today’s budget has underscored the need for an
early general election so a Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour government
can implement a humane social security system, scrap Universal
Credit and genuinely end austerity so millions can start to share
in the wealth that they create.”
