Responding to today's report by the Fabian Society revealing widespread public support for permanently keeping the £20 weekly boost to Universal Credit that is currently set to end in October, Becca Lyons, Head of UK Child Poverty at Save the Children said:
"It is incredibly reassuring to know that the compassionate people of Britain believe that families hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic and through no fault of their own ought to receive a little bit more a week to help make ends meet.
"Parents are telling us of the heartbreaking choices they’re having to make between, say, feeding their children or paying their rent. Cutting their incomes in October would only push them into further hardship and have a huge impact on their mental and physical wellbeing.
“As we start to emerge from the nightmare of COVID-19 in the UK, we're calling on the UK government to make the £20 a week increase to universal credit permanent to prevent families from falling further into financial hardship.
“Families wanting to support, nourish and care for their children would welcome this news. It would also send a message that the UK government is intent on helping to ‘level up’ the country and in doing so make a huge difference to the lives of the nation’s hard-pressed families.”
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