Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will restore the £20 uplift to Universal Credit

There are no plans to reinstate the temporary increase to Universal Credit.

The government has announced unprecedented support within its Growth Plan to protect households and businesses from high energy prices. The Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme are supporting millions of households and businesses with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear they will continue to do so from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

This includes a £650 cost of living payment (paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324) which has been designed to target support at more than 8 million low-income households on means-tested benefits. The payment of £326 was paid between the 14 July and the 31 July for most people and the payment of £324 will be made in the Autumn. In addition, 6 million eligible disabled people will have started to receive a one-off disability Cost of Living payment of £150 from late September and pensioner households will receive a one-off payment of £300 through and as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment from November.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is required to undertake an annual statutory review of State pensions and benefits. The review ahead of 2023/24 is due to commence shortly and the Secretary of State’s decisions will be announced in the normal way later in the year.