THE Government is axing a pandemic-inspired benefits boost, causing nearly 2,000 Bury residents to lost around £1,000 a year.

The decision to end the £20 a week Universal Credit uplift has faced strong criticism, with politicians in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales campaigning for the Prime Minister to drop the proposal.

Leaders wrote a letter saying there was no compelling reason to go ahead with the decision.

Department for Work and Pensions figures show 17,895 people claimed Universal Credit in July, 62 per cent of whom were not in work.

Michelle Cardno, founder of Tottington-based non-profit benefits organisation, Fightback4justice said: “We have a lot of clients within our organisation struggling to get back to work and they simply can’t.

“The government pushing this kind of rhetoric about getting people back to work is really unhelpful and will harm many people.

“There are so many people who simply cannot get back to work and the government is leaving these people behind.”