A CUT to Universal Credit (UC) will have “dire consequences”, Bolton campaigners have warned.

The scrapping of the weekly £20 UC uplift, paid to people in work as well as out of it, comes into effect on October 6, with more than 34,000 people in the borough set to be hit.

Citizens Advice Bury and Bolton is opposing the cut and has joined a coalition of charities and campaign groups opposing the decision.

Richard Wilkinson, chief executive, said: “If the cut goes ahead, it will remove over £193m from our regional economy, damaging businesses and putting jobs at risk. It will also push many parents out of work as they lose their entitlement to UC and the benefit’s childcare element.

“The impact on residents’ wellbeing, as well as the impact on the region’s economy, are in direct opposition to the government’s levelling up agenda and risk worsening the north-south economic divide.”

Bolton TUC has warned this will have a devastating impact.

A spokesman said: “The consequences of removing the uplift will not only impact upon the families of 21,000 disabled people and those 13,000 on the lowest wages immediately but will also have dire consequences....as the economy will shrink by £680,000 each week, which is a staggering £35m each and every year."

An estimated 14,077 in Bolton South East constituency will be the worst hit, 4,934 of them in work, set to lose their uplift payments. Around 12,400 people, 4,183 of them in work, are similarly affected in Bolton North East and in Bolton West 8,105, 3,119 of them currently working.

The TUC has written to borough Tory MPs Chris Green and Mark Logan, urging against removing the uplift.

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey has said there are no plans to change course.

She said: “Now the economy has reopened it is right that the government should focus on supporting people back into work and supporting those already employed to progress in their careers. Our ambition is to support two million people move into and progress in work through our comprehensive £33bn plan for jobs.”