It’s estimated that twice as many people are claiming Universal Credit compared to before the pandemic as more and more people have lost jobs or had their hours cut.
Nearly six million people are currently eligible to claim for help with everyday living costs and the amount someone receives will depend on whether they are single, part of a couple or a family with children. People who are single and under 25 receive the least amount of help – a monthly allowance of £344 – but this increases by £65 when they reach 25-years-old.
It’s a similar story for couples and families – the research found that couples with two children will have just 63 percent of the income they need to survive after the uplift is removed.
Over the last decade, £14 billion has been cut from the social security system – the £20 uplift, which cost around £6 billion, only replaced half of this cut the think tank claimed.
Its data shows that when the uplift is removed, 21.4 million people, including seven million children, will live in households that do not have the amount they need to afford all the basics.
And some people think it’s only going to get worse.
However, despite its unpopularity the cut to the Universal Credit uplift looks set to go ahead on October 6 this year. Citizens Advice illustrated how different age claimants will see their standard allowances drop:
By a quarter for single claimants under 25, from £344 to £257.33
By a fifth for single claimants over 25, from £411.51 to £324.84
By 17 percent for joint claimants under 25, from £490.60 to £403.93
By 14 percent for joint claimants over 25, from £596.58 to £509.91
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