Pandemic’s £20 benefit uplift led to sharp fall in households living in poverty but replacement is far less effective
The scrapping of the government’s £20-a-week pandemic boost to universal credit has set back the fight against poverty and led to an increase in the number of families struggling on low incomes, a leading thinktank will reveal this week.
Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies seen by the Guardian shows that the emergency programme of universal credit (UC) support led to a sharp fall in the number of households living in absolute poverty during the 18 months it was in force.
