The end of the £20 uplift to Universal Credit this week represents the biggest overnight cut to the basic rate of social security since the Second World War – at a time when the effects of the pandemic are still being felt.
This, combined with the end of the furlough scheme, will plunge millions of families into poverty over the next few months. Politicians, activists and civil society leaders agree there is still an urgent need to provide economic support that protects everybody.
Welcome as the furlough scheme and the uplift to Universal Credit were, their targeted design meant that many fell through the cracks, and the government spent much of last summer rushing through loans, grants and add-on schemes to catch those who didn't qualify for one reason or another.
