Committees at the UK’s four parliaments have joined together to urge the UK not to ditch the £20 increase in Universal Credit brought in during the coronavirus pandemic.

The conveners of committees at Westminster, Holyrood, Stormont and the Senedd have jointly written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey on the issue.

And they said they hoped the UK Government would “take seriously our view that the uplift should be extended”.

The £20 increase in the Universal Credit payments has been a “a lifeline for millions of families, saving them from being impoverished”, they argued.

All four of our committees agree that by spending this money now on social security, we can avoid putting more people into poverty.

Opposition politicians, union leaders and anti-poverty campaigners have all been urging ministers to make the increase to the benefit payment permanent.