The work and pensions committee (WPC) has written to the prime minister over his pledge to consider raising the level of Universal Credit and other benefits in line with inflation.
The committee is also inviting submissions on how the government could offer additional support for cost of living.
WPC chair Stephen Timms wrote that “after the £20 per week temporary uplift to Universal Credit was removed last October, the headline rate of benefits was the lowest in real terms for over thirty years.
“As you know, twelve-month CPI Inflation rose to 9% in the year to April 2022 and the Bank of England has predicted that by the end of the year, CPI inflation will have risen to around 10%. Last month, people on benefits, some of the most hard-pressed in our society, received an uplift of just 3.1% and they aren’t expecting another uplift until April 2023,” he went on.
Timms highlighted Johnson’s previous comments to the treasury committee chair, in which he said he would “have a look” at if benefits could be risen before April 2023.
Earlier today deputy prime minster Dominic Raab said an early uplift to benefits could not be rule out.
Following today’s letter committee chair Stephen Timms MP, said: “With prices now rising at the fastest rate for 40 years, prospects for people on the lowest incomes appear ever bleaker and the need to act to help them ever more urgent. The prime minister indicated at the liaison committee in March that he would examine the idea of uprating benefits before April 2023. He now needs to come forward and say exactly what his government is considering to relieve the immense pressure faced by so many families. There is no time to lose.
“The committee has heard of the huge challenges faced by people battling rising living costs on very low incomes. We are now keen to hear policy ideas on how the benefits system can be adapted to support them and will be pressing the Secretary of State on the issue when she appears before us next month.”
