PM urged to keep extra £20 payment

BORIS Johnson has been urged to make a £20 a week increase for people receiving Universal Credit permanent.

The Prime Minister was asked by Ian Blackford, SNP Westminster leader, if the current uplift in the payment could be continued after the planned end date of next April.

He told Mr Johnson it was even more essential with “mass unemployment looming” and added: “Having the right social security measures in place to help families over the long term is vital. The Chancellor has so far refused to commit to make the £20 Universal Credit uplift permanent.

“This means 16 million people face losing an income equivalent of £1,040 overnight.

“Will the Prime Minister now commit to making the £20 uplift to Universal Credit permanent?”

However, the Prime Minister would not commit to a permanent increase, instead telling the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber that he was “proud we’ve been able to uprate it in the way we have”.

He said: “We will continue to support people across the country with the biggest cash increase in the national living wage this year, and the result of UC so far has been there are 200,000 fewer people in absolute poverty now than there were in 2010.”

Mr Blackford replied the Prime Minister had “an opportunity now” to “do the right thing” and make the increase permanent, accusing him of ignoring his original question.

Mr Johnson said: “It is vital we tackle poverty in this country, that’s why this Government is so proud of what we did with the national living wage and what I can tell him on Universal Credit is that we’re putting another £1.7 billion into UC by 2023/2024 and if that doesn’t give him the answer he wants then he can ask again next week.”