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The weekly increase in universal credit of £ 20 a week, which was introduced to support 6 million families whose incomes have fallen since March, is expected to end in spring 2021
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Millions of universal loan applicants have remained in suspension after the Chancellor refused to confirm whether the £ 20 weekly emergency boost would be extended beyond April 2021.
The £ 20 weekly surcharge, introduced this year to help 6 million people in distress due to the pandemic, is set to end in spring 2021.
Currently, the additional payment equals 1. £ 040 per year for those on the lowest incomes. enough to keep many families afloat.
Despite warnings that unemployment could exceed 3 million next summer, Sunak refused to confirm whether the additional support would be extended.
Labor and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said no decision had been made as to whether to keep the £ 20 UC boost when she announced the full rate of the new state pension will be £ 179. 60 per week from 2021.
However,
Stephen Timms, chairman of the labor and pension committee, said households face an uncertain Christmas holiday with no clear guidance.
« Millions of people on universal credit are now in excruciating uncertainty ahead of the holiday season, not knowing whether the government will cut their income by £ 20 a week next April, » he said.
Becca Lyon, director of child poverty at Save the Children, said the extra £ 20 is a lifeline for many families who have lost their incomes since March.
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« It is extremely disappointing that the UK government has decided not to reassure families today that they will not lose out on this surge from next April, » she said.
« Parents tell us that by the time they run out of money they will be without food or electricity. You just can’t afford to buy more than 1. Lose 000 pounds a year. « .
« Something went bad when we took money away from struggling families in the middle of a pandemic. «
Thomas Lawson, CEO of Turn2us, said: « For a society that believes in compassion and fairness, the lack of commitment to sustaining the vital £ 20 universal credit increase will make it impossible for so many of us to achieve it. « back on my feet. â ????
Imran Hussain, Director of Actions and Campaigns for Children, added: « It is not right that low-income families should start with a 1 decrease in their Universal Credit Assistance starting next year. 000 GBP are faced. « even more stress for a second lockdown, the arrival of winter and Christmas around the corner.
« The government must do this now to prevent a generation of children from suffering from poverty and pandemic, which would add significant long-term costs to public finances. «
In another slap in the face of 2 million households, Sunak said today that benefit payments will only increase by 37p in April.
The so-called « legacy » benefits as well as those for caregivers will only increase by 0. 5%, the latest CPI inflation figure for 2021/22.
That means an increase from just 37p a week to £ 74. 35 Standard rate of unemployment benefit or sickness and disability benefit Labor and support benefit
The increase for children and under 25s is likely to be even smaller, and the separate care allowance is only expected to increase by 34p.
Universal Loan, Rishi Sunak, Finance
World News – UK – There is a fear that 6 million Universal Loan applicants will be hit in the next year 1. Could lose £ 000
Ref: https://www.mirror.co.uk
