Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the change in the level of the cost of living in the decision to remove the £20 uplift to universal credit.

No such assessment has been made.

The government has always been clear that the £20 increase was a temporary measure to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19. It is our expectation that this additional financial support and other direct Covid support will end once the economy has reopened. Our focus now is on our multi-billion pound Plan for Jobs, which will support people in the long-term by helping them learn new skills and increase their hours or find new work.