Thank you for your email. It was always clear that the Universal Credit boost was temporary. Were it to be made permanent now, it is unlikely that the Treasury would support such a move again in the future.
In the Budget, the Chancellor announced that on top of the planned uprating, the Government would extend the temporary £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance until the end of September 2021. This measure will apply to all new and existing UC claimants. The Government is also making a one-off payment of £500 to eligible WTC claimants across the UK, to provide continued extra support over the same period. This means additional support will be available well beyond the end of national lockdown. I know my colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions remain focused on supporting people by helping them get back into work through the Government’s £30 billion Plan for Jobs, including schemes such as Kickstart.
This is on top of a previous £1 billion package of changes, providing two additional weeks of DWP legacy benefits for those moving onto UC, a 12-month grace period before the Minimum Income Floor is applied, and extending the payback period for Universal Credit advances from 12 months to 24, meaning in effect someone can receive 25 payments over 24 months.
