Labour is calling on the government to agree five urgent social security measures to provide immediate support to people affected by the coronavirus crisis:

• Convert Universal Credit advances into grants instead of loans, ending the five-week wait
• Remove the £16,000 savings limit which disqualifies individuals from accessing Universal Credit
• Suspend the benefit cap
• Abolish the two-child limit in Universal Credit and tax credits
• Uprate legacy benefits to match the increase in Universal Credit, providing an immediate increase in Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment Support Allowance

Jonathan Reynolds, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said:

“The Covid-19 crisis is causing serious financial suffering for people and their families. At this stage, with no clear end to the lockdown, we must urgently find ways to strengthen the safety net so our society can emerge from the crisis with the least damage possible.

“While we welcome the Government’s emergency measures so far, we do not believe they go far enough. By taking these additional steps immediately, we can prevent families and individuals from sliding further into hardship from which it will be extremely difficult to recover.”