Raab refuses to rule out early Universal Credit hike

Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab has refused to rule out an early Universal Credit hike.

Payments of UC, and other benefits, are generally reviewed each April.

The £20 a week uplift in Universal Credit introduced in April 2020 was wrapped up last October, to widespread criticism.

When quizzed over whether UC could be risen earlier, Raab explained that“ nothing is off the table but if you are asking what we are doing as opposed to what we have already done, and there is a £20 billion package of support to address those cost of living challenges, so in July there will be an around £300 tax cut by National Insurance for 30 million workers.

“In October there will be extra relief on energy bills… about to the tune of £200. That is on top of the national living wage, the UC changes we have already made and the council tax relief we have already provided.”

Raab also said a one-off windfall tax on energy firms could not be ruled out.

This came after Raab admitted to the BBC One Breakfast programme that higher inflation “will be with us for a year or so, according to the forecasts.”

“CPI inflation is at nine per cent but how it hits different families different backgrounds, different income, will depend on the basket of shopping or the bills that they have week-by-week,” he went on.