Written question asked by Lord Beecham (Labour) on Monday, 22 February 2021, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 8 March 2021. It was answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative) on Wednesday, 24 February 2021 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Universal Credit

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to maintain the additional £20 per week to recipients of Universal Credit while the restrictions to address the COVID-19 pandemic remain in place; and, if they have no such plans, why not.

Answer: The £20 per week uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit was announced by the Chancellor as a temporary measure in March 2020 to support those facing the most financial disruption as a result of the public health emergency. This measure remains in place until March 2021. As the Government has done throughout this pandemic, it will continue to assess how best to support low-income families, which is why we will look at the economic and health context before making any decisions.

Secondary information