PLANS to cut Universal Credit will have a 'devastating impact' on families struggling for survival, warns a local charity.

Staff and volunteers at Citizens Advice Cheshire West have helped 1,945 people to claim this benefit since March last year.

Around 75 per cent of people in Cheshire West and Chester seeking its advice on benefits have never contacted the charity before.

Advisers say many needing support from the benefits system have lost their job or suffered a drop in income as a result of the pandemic.

Paul Nicholls, chief officer of Citizens Advice Cheshire West, said: "We support people every day whose lives have been turned upside down by this pandemic.

"For many of them, Universal Credit is the lifeline that has helped pay the bills and put food on the table.

“Households across Cheshire West and Chester now face the devastating prospect of a £20 a week cut to their benefits in just a few short months.

“With a tough outlook in the jobs market, we’re urging the government to continue doing the right thing and maintain the Universal Credit uplift.”

Citizens Advice Cheshire West, which has continued to provide one-to-one support throughout the pandemic, warns that local families could be pushed into further hardship if the £20 a week Universal Credit uplift ends as planned in April.

In Cheshire West and Chester the number of people claiming Universal Credit has risen 79 per cent since the pandemic started.

For households in this area the loss of £20 a week is equivalent to almost three days of food costs.