By Rishi Sunak’s £1,000 one-off Universal Credit payment
The one-off £1,000 a year Universal Credit payment would replace the £20 a week scheme.
The Chancellor is reportedly in talks to give six million vulnerable households a one-off £1,000 Universal Credit support grant under plans to scrap a £20-a-week lifeline in April.
There are over 6million people estimated to be eligible for the new proposal which Sunak is hoping the one-off payment will help rebuild the economy.
The payments would be available to benefit claimants who are facing a financial crisis, such as unemployed or unable to cover essential living expenses.
Currently the temporary £84 extra is paid monthly, which means you can’t overspend however the new one-off payment would be upfront.
On average, it will also be £40 a year less than the current support which is available.
Since the start of the pandemic half of the 5 .7million people receiving universal credit have signed on.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said no decisions had yet been made on what support to offer once the £20 extra scheme expires later this year.
The spokesperson said: “Throughout this crisis we have made sure we have looked after those who are most vulnerable.”
“We will continue to assess the economic and health context to decide how best to continue to support people who need our help.”
However, Downing Street did not deny reports that a £1,000 one-off payment could replace the £84 uplifts.
