End to universal credit’s Covid top-up is fuelling rise in poverty, warns IFS

Pandemic's 20 benefit uplift led to sharp fall in households living in poverty but replacement is far less effective

The scrapping of the government's 20-a-week pandemic boost to universal credit has set back the fight against poverty and led to an increase in the number of families struggling on low incomes, a leading thinktank will reveal this week.

Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies seen by the Guardian shows that the emergency programme of universal credit (UC) support led to a sharp fall in the number of households living in absolute poverty during the 18 months it was in force.