A man from Leeds who's currently living on less than £7 a day has begged the government not to cut Universal Credit payments down to pre-pandemic levels.
The £20 weekly top-up payment for those claiming Universal Credit was introduced by the government to help people, but now ministers are insisting that it be stopped.
Matthew held a position as a sales manager for 8 years, but everything went wrong for him after being illegally evicted from his home shortly after losing his position - at which point he discovered that the existing safety net provided to tax payers by the DWP is minimal.
Instead, he relied on charities and the church to help get him back on his feet. With their help, he managed to get back into having a nice house to live in, but he says he's still been unable to find work.
He told Leeds Live that he feels that there should be more financial support to help get people back into training, not less - saying that living on £50 a week is "impossible at the moment."
“I already don’t pay for my gas, I already cut it out.
“That extra £20 doesn’t seem like a lot but to me it is.”
Saying he is not currently looking for work because he's "trying to survive every day" he added that with a "bit of support, counselling back into work I could quite easily get back into work."
The benefit uplift that ministers want to cut is worth £1,040 a year to around 6 million Universal Credit claimants, many of whom are in low-paid jobs, at a cost to the government of around £6bn a year.
Charities, think tanks and unions across the country have warned against removing the uplift on 6 October, explaining that it will hit some of the poorest families the hardest at a time when energy bills are set to soar and the furlough scheme is coming to an end - which will likely push more people into unemployment.
They have also argued that it could hit the UK's coronavirus recovery, as it will mean millions losing dispoable income for spending on essentials.
All of this means that Rishi Sunak is coming under increasing pressure this week to u-turn on his decision to abandon the benefit uplift after many people have spoken out in defense of those in need, like Matthew.
Fellow minister Grant Shapps attempted to defend Sunak's decision this week but was ridiculed after he wrongly claimed that keeping the uplift would cost “several pennies” on income tax.
However, it was revealed that his claim regarding the cost of keeping the benefit uplift was several times higher than the official figure. HMRC figures have shown that if the chancellor decided to fund the tax this way it would cost less than 1%.
Feature image - Matthew Jeffrey
News
Football Focus cancelled by the BBC after more than half a century
In a fairly big bit of British broadcasting news, Football Focus is ending after more than half a century on our screens.
Announced on Thursday, 23 April, the once flagship show and weekly TV guide staple for countless domestic households is set to be cancelled after 52 seasons' worth of coverage.
With BBC Sport confirming the tough decision in a lengthy statement, the long-running show will be taken off the air at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
Most programmes like these have seen declining audiences across the board in the era of streaming and digital packages across various platforms, but this is truly the end of an era.
An incredible 52-year journey comes to an end.
Following extensive consideration, BBC Sport has made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Football Focus at the end of this season.
First broadcast in 1974, Football Focus is a testament to the brilliant team who have… pic.twitter.com/bmHQqQdf6J
An official social media post reads: "An incredible 52-year journey comes to an end. Following extensive consideration, BBC Sport has made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Football Focus at the end of this season. "First broadcast in 1974, Football Focus is a testament to the brilliant team who have worked on it over the years and, of course, the audience. The programme has been a staple of the BBC’s football coverage for decades, providing fans with interviews, analysis and stories from across the game ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.
"But changing audience behaviours means fans are now increasingly consuming football content in different ways, and we need to respond appropriately as we face difficult decisions around how the licence fee is spent."
Second only really to Match of the Day (MotD), which first began a whole decade prior to its once equally popular spin-off, Gary Lineker, Manish Bhasin, Alex Scott and others have all enjoyed varying periods hosting the regular weekend watch.
While even MotD has seen steadily dipping viewing figures, not just following the Lineker departure/saga, but ever since YouTube highlights and the social media era.
They go on to add: "Fans are accessing discussion, highlights, analysis and news through digital platforms and on-demand viewing, and as viewing habits continue to evolve, it is right that BBC Sport adapts how it brings football coverage to the widest audiences across television, radio, online and to its extensive social platforms. BBC Sport boasts a strong football rights portfolio and is set to significantly expand its digital output this year, growing content across BBC platforms, as well as a bold new slate of exclusive shows on YouTube.
"Featuring fresh formats, big personalities and more frequent, always-on content tailored for digital audiences, the expansion will bring fans closer to the game than ever before, delivering more high-quality, accessible and engaging football coverage at scale. We will release further details on these plans in the coming months."
Will you miss it? Perhaps more to the point, do you still watch Match of the Day, Soccer Saturday and the like on terrestrial telly here in the UK?
Farmer Copleys bans dogs from popular Tulip Festival after tragic death of beloved pet
Daisy Jackson
Farmer Copleys, which is behind the popular Tulip Festival attraction, has spoken out after the tragic death of a dog who visited last weekend.
The family-run farm has decided to ban dogs (with the exception of service dogs) from its site, after a visitor reported that her beloved springer spaniel Bobby had died just hours after attending the Tulip Festival.
It's believed that Bobby had eaten a tulip bulb or flower, which can be deadly to dogs.
Farmer Copleys has now shared a statement about the incident, writing that the team are 'deeply saddened' by the animal's death.
They stressed that while the exact cause of his death remains unknown, they 'do not wish to take any further risks' and will no longer be permitting dogs at the Tulip Festival.
"The safety and wellbeing of all our visitors and their pets is something we take extremely seriously," Farmer Copleys wrote in a statement shared today.
Customers who are no longer able to attend since the change are welcome to get in touch with the farm directly to discuss a refund.
And assistance dogs are still welcome, but owners will need to sign a disclaimer before taking them into the Tulip Festival.
Farmer Copleys tulip festival is one of the most popular events in Yorkshire every springDogs will no longer be allowed at the Tulip Festival
Farmer Copleys wrote: "We are deeply saddened by the recent incident involving a visitor’s dog following a visit to our Tulip Festival, and our thoughts remain with the owner at this difficult time.
"We must stress while the exact cause of this incident remains unknown, many flowers and plants in outdoor environments can pose risks to dogs if ingested, particularly the bulb, and we do not wish to take any further risk.
"The safety and wellbeing of all our visitors and their pets is something we take extremely seriously. As a precautionary measure, we have made the difficult decision to no longer permit dogs at our Tulip Festival for the remainder of the season.
"In addition, this has further reinforced our decision to close the pick your own area for the remainder of the festival.
"We understand this may be disappointing for some visitors. Any customers who have booked and are now unable to attend due to this change are welcome to contact us regarding a refund at info@farmercopleys.co.uk.
"We are undertaking a full investigation and make a decision on 2027’s season in due course."
Georgina Pellant -
29th September 2021 
