A Preston charity is preparing to help those who will be affected by the upcoming Universal Credit cut.
The Intact Centre want to help locals who will be affected by the £20 a week reversal of the Universal Credit uplift, which is due to take place on 6 October.
Intact, in Ingol, has had various programmes running to help vulnerable residents for many years but is expecting greater calls for help as the consequences of the £80 a month cut hits residents.
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There are over 13,000 families in Preston in receipt of universal credit or work tax credits with further families in Fulwood, Cottam and Lea also affected. 59% of those families have children.
Intact help people struggling in numerous ways, and even run ‘Whitby’s Pantry’, a community food hub which allows residents to pay £5 and get their weekly shop far cheaper than the supermarket.
Intact’s Advice and Guidance team offer financial support to help residents manage their finances, find cheaper bills and apply for benefits.
Additionally, the Intact Centre offers free cooking lessons to help people make affordable and nutritious meals as well as employability support to help residents back to work or gain a new skill.
Intact CEO Denise Hartley said: “Our motto is ‘Making a Difference by being there’ and we know our service users and the drop in universal credit is going to make life even more difficult for them.
“We want people to know that if you are struggling, give Intact a call or pop into the centre”
The Intact Centre welcomes donations of either money or shopping items if anyone wants to donate and help service users.
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