Yesterday, Ian Blackford, the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, asked the Prime Minister the following: “With mass unemployment looming, having the right social security measures in place to help families over the long term is vital.

"The Chancellor has so far refused to commit to make the Universal Credit uplift permanent, which means that 16 million people face losing an income equivalent of £1,040 overnight.

“Will the Prime Minister now commit to making the uplift permanent?”

“The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has painted a clear picture for his Government: strip the Universal Credit uplift away, and 700,000 more people, including 300,000 children, could move into poverty, and 500,000 more people could end up in severe poverty - more than 50 percent below the poverty line.

READ MORE: Universal Credit: Claimants may get a top up payment this week 

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