Renfrewshire is currently facing the rollout of Universal Credit. These changes to people’s incomes will, in many cases, see earnings falling by £2,400 a year, which is £200 a month or £50 per week.

This benefit has seen families across the UK fall into poverty and food banks struggling to keep up with the demand for help – and Renfrewshire is no exception.

The UK Government’s attack on society’s lowest paid continues to push families into absolute poverty under the pretence that the austerity programme is designed to reduce the UK’s debt.

The Child Poverty Action Group estimates that, if you take all of the working age social security cuts that have been made since 2010 and put them together, they reach £37billion.

The SNP is calling for a halt in the rollout of Universal Credit until it is fit for purpose.

The Chancellor must focus his efforts on supporting those who have suffered through almost a decade of Tory austerity in the upcoming Budget.

The UK Treasury need to invest in lifting the benefit freeze, scrapping the two-child limit, restoring work allowances, sorting out the application waiting time, reform sanctions, giving more support to those applying for benefits with mental health conditions, restoring the disability components of Universal Credit and that of the ESA work-related activity group.

My office has already seen constituents who have many issues with Universal Credit in the short period that it has been implemented in Renfrewshire. Last week saw the office record our 10,000th constituency case since I was elected to represent Paisley and Renfrewshire South in 2015.

I regularly deal with constituents who have been mistreated by this UK Government. Whether it is in the form of disastrous DWP policies or mismanaged immigration issues, we are always kept busy fixing the Tories’ mess. I dread to think what the next bizarre policy will be from this austerity-obsessed Tory government.

Over the coming months, I will be holding street surgeries all over Paisley and Renfrewshire South. I am hoping to hold these surgeries across all towns and villages in the constituency. I kicked off the street surgeries at the beginning of October in Elderslie, along with local councillors for the area Jacqueline Cameron and Andy Steel.

The next street surgeries will be in Glenburn and Lochwinnoch, so keep an eye out for a letter coming through your door to let you know when I will be in your area.

The street surgeries will be another avenue for you to contact me with any issues you may have. I understand that not everyone is able to make it along to my scheduled monthly surgeries for a whole host of reasons, so this is another way for you to access your MP.

If you would like more information about the street surgeries or you have an issue you would like to discuss with me, please contact the Paisley and Renfrewshire South constituency office on 0141 571 4370 or you can email me via mhairi.black.mp@parliament.uk.