Universal Credit uplift must be made permanent to protect vulnerable Scots, says SNP MP

Easter falls on Sunday, April 4 which means everyone in the UK can look forward to the upcoming bank holidays on Good Friday and Easter Monday. The extended weekend from April 2nd to April 5th also means that normal financial transactions will be suspended and as a result, most benefit payments that fall on those dates are changing.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that there are now around six million people across the UK claiming Universal Credit.The benefit payment is intended to help those out of work or on a low income with the costs of daily living.There are changes coming in April which will see an increase of 0.5 per cent across all DWP-delivered benefits, including Universal Credit.The rise in payments also affects additional elements including child, carer and work capability paid to claimants receiving

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently confirmed that State Pension will rise by 2.5% and benefits by 0.5% from April this year. The new changes will come into effect at the start of the new financial year on April 6, 2021 and will increase benefit payments delivered by the DWP.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced plans to resume trials of an integrated assessment for health-related benefits, which includes Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Universal Credit and Employment Support Allowance (ESA).Minister of State for Disabled People, Work and Health, Justin Tomlinson, recently confirmed the pilot scheme would restart in April in response to a written question from Shadow Minister for Disabled People, Vicky Foxcroft.The Labour MP for Lewisham and

Universal Credit will be abruptly reduced in September.Paul Johnson, the IFS’s director, said “It is, by the way, remarkable that while the chancellor felt the need for a gradual phase out of furlough, business rates support, stamp duty reductions and VAT reductions he is still set on a cliff-edge reduction in UC such that incomes of some of the poorest families will fall by over £80 between one month and the next.

link!"An extension to furlough, assisting the three million excluded from Covid assistance so far and making the £20 Universal Credit uplift permanent and available to legacy benefits are just the start of the support he should be looking at.“At the Budget, the Chancellor must also prioritise investing in the key areas of the economy to stimulate jobs, recovery and wellbeing.

direct to your inboxThe limit on contactless payments is set to rise from £45 to £100.Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who will announce the plans in his 2021 Budget, said the change will boost the retail sector and help protect jobs in the UK.The change will legally come into force from today, but firms will need to make the necessary systems changes before being able to offer customers the higher limit.The UK has been allowed to make the change after leaving the EU, which limits contactless payments to

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) show that more than 264,000 people have opened a UK Government-backed account designed to help those on low incomes.Total deposits into the Help to Save scheme during the six months from August 2020 to January 2021 exceeded £40 million.This was the highest recorded amount saved in a six-month period since the scheme started in September 2018.The scheme allows certain people entitled to Working Tax Credit or claiming Universal Credit to receive a bonus of 50p for

social security payments.Glasgow South West MP said: “We are in the middle of a health and economic crisis, and the uplift in Universal Credit has provided a lifeline for many struggling families and households during these unprecedented and challenging times.

direct to your inbox The issue of vaccine passports is one which is beset with complex moral and legal considerations, but it could pave the way out of the coronavirus pandemic and for more normal life to return.