Keep the £20pw Universal Credit lifeline and extend to those on legacy benefits

By putting in place the £20pw Universal Credit uplift at the start of the crisis, the Government provided a vital lifeline to low income families & children. It is clear the crisis is far from over. The Government must keep the uplift in place and grant it to all families on benefits.

I’m a single parent of two and have disabilities preventing me from getting a full-time job. I didn’t qualify for the £20pw uplift as I’m on the old 'legacy benefits' system. Our financials got worse by the pandemic. £20 extra would mean giving the kids good food and to not hear them saying ‘I’m still hungry’.

My close friend Rebecca is a single working mother of one. Living on Universal Credit is very challenging for her, especially with no family or friends to help. £20 is her food budget. She’d be in trouble without it.

This Government is committed to supporting people on lower incomes. At the start of the pandemic, the Government introduced an unprecedented package of support, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and Statutory Sick Pay available from day one. During the pandemic, the Government has provided over £280 billion of support, protecting jobs, keeping businesses afloat, helping families get by.

We have also helped people with the cost of living – for example, through increasing the rate of Local Housing Allowance to the 30th percentile of local rents this financial year, and maintaining this as a cash increase next financial year. This measure is putting an average of £600 into the pockets of those claiming Housing Benefit or the Housing Element of Universal Credit. For those who need additional support with their housing costs, an additional £40 million was allocated to Discretionary Housing Payments this financial year.

Furthermore, our Warm Home Discount Scheme supports over two million low-income and vulnerable customers each year directly with their energy costs, and DWP works closely with utility companies on data matching for this initiative. In addition, to help people do the right thing if they are told to isolate, a £500 Test and Trace Support Payment is available to those who meet the relevant criteria.

As the vaccination programme gathers pace and the economy begins to reopen, we are shifting focus to helping people into work and increasing their earnings. The Government is clear that the best strategy to combat poverty is a jobs strategy, which is why we are investing £30 billion into our Plan for Jobs. The Plan for Jobs is a comprehensive package of employment interventions, including our flagship £2 billion Kickstart scheme, which is funding thousands of 6-month opportunities for young people, plus new Youth Hubs, a new Job Finding Support Service, and more. We are also increasing the number of Work Coaches by 13,500 this financial year, with 10,000 already recruited. All new Work Coaches will receive intensive training to give all our claimants the tailored support they need.