Benefits freeze ‘won’t be axed’

THE benefits freeze will not be ended early, Philip Hammond said yesterday, despite Britain’s growing economy.

He was urged to ditch the final year of £1.4billion of welfare cuts due to come in next month covering universal credit, child benefit, tax credits, housing benefits, income support and some disability benefits.

The Chancellor promised it would end next year as planned after Labour MP Angela Eagle asked him to reconsider the policy, which was brought in by George Osborne in 2016.

However, Mr Hammond told her the freeze had been needed to offset an unaffordable 65 per cent increase to the welfare budget under the previous Labour administration.