Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Paragraph: 111
We recommend that the UK Government closely review the issue of making permanent the £20...
Recommendation
We recommend that the UK Government closely review the issue of making permanent the £20 uplift in the run up to the expiration of this policy at the end of September 2021, whilst also taking into account the significant financial costs such a change would impose. We also recommend that the UK Government should again review whether 6 Welfare policy in Scotland this uplift should be extended and back-dated to legacy benefit recipients so that they do not lose out on this increase in benefits through no fault of their own due to which benefit they receive. We note that similar recommendations were made by the Work and Pensions Select Committee, the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee and the Social Security Advisory Committee within the last year.
Paragraph Reference:
111
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the UK Government announced the temporary uplift as part of a £400 billion package of measures put in place that will last well beyond the end of the roadmap. The UK Government focused support on Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit claimants because they were more likely to be affected by the sudden economic shock of Covid-19 than legacy benefit recipients. There was never any plan to extend the uplift to legacy benefits. As the economy recovers, the UK Government’s ambition is to help people move into and progress in work as quickly as possible based on clear evidence around the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty. The UK Government’s ambitious Plan for Jobs is already delivering for people of all ages right across Great Britain and includes new schemes such as the £2 billion Kickstart Scheme.