Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on extending the uplift to universal credit beyond April 2021.

The temporary £20 per week increase to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits was introduced specifically to provide support to those who have seen their income fall as a result of the pandemic. This is just one part of a wide-ranging package of support the Government has provided to protect people's jobs and incomes. We are continuing to respond to the economic situation as it evolves and are keeping all measures under review.

Making the £20 per week increase permanent would require a substantial ongoing increase in borrowing or tax rises, with 2020-21 spending on working-age benefits set to be the highest since records began as a share of national income.