Voters demand Tories abandon plan to snatch cash from people on Universal Credit
Voters are demanding that Rishi Sunak abandon his plan to take away significant amounts of money from millions of families who rely on Universal Credit. The Prime Minister is unwilling to promise an increase in payments to keep up with the rising prices in the coming year.
A survey discovered that a large majority of people believe that benefits like Universal Credit should be raised due to the increasing cost of living. A little over half (51%) believe that the increase should be in line with inflation, while 22% believe it should be even higher.
The survey, conducted for the Mirror by Redfield and Wilton, found just 16% believe the increase should be below inflation.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is contemplating the possibility of reducing benefits in real terms when he presents his tax and spending proposals in the Autumn Statement in November. Typically, payments increase annually in April based on the inflation rate from the previous September. The Bank of England predicts this rate to be 6.9% this month, resulting in a corresponding increase in benefits, including Universal Credit, next year. However, the Government is exploring the option of using a lower rate, which would negatively impact the 6.1 million individuals receiving UC.
If ministers increased benefits by a figure that was one percentage point below inflation, a low income working couple with two children would lose £220. Liz Truss last year considered no longer increasing benefits in line with inflation, but dropped her plan following widespread condemnation.
The poll also found strong support for the triple lock on the state pension. Mr Sunak has refused to say whether the pledge will be in the Tory manifesto at the next election and the Government has not ruled out amending how it works in a bid to save cash.
The state pension increases annually based on the highest out of 2.5%, wage rises, or inflation, known as the triple lock. Recent data on average earnings indicates that pensioners may receive an 8.5% increase in April. This would result in an additional £901 for men born after April 1951 and women born after April 1953. For those born before this, the basic state pension would increase by £690. There are rumors that ministers might consider using a different average earnings figure, excluding one-time bonuses for public sector employees, which could potentially reduce the increases.
Based on our survey findings, approximately 64% of voters are in favor of the triple lock, while only 4% are against it. Nearly half (48%) believe that increasing the state pension by less than 8.5% would be incorrect, whereas 32% think it would be appropriate. Redfield and Wilton conducted online interviews with 1,500 British adults on September 13 and 14.
Please ensure to follow Mirror Politics on Snapchat, Tiktok, Twitter, and Facebook.
