Labour's finance chief has declined to say the £20-a-week boost to Universal Credit should be made permanent. But the Shadow Chancellor stopped short of saying it should be kept in perpetuity - arguing "radical reform" is needed instead. Ms Dodds was asked three times by the BBC's Andrew Marr Show if the £20 uplift should be made permanent. Claimants can get an advance during the five-week wait for Universal Credit but it must be paid back out of future benefits. The next general election is only expected in Spring 2024, months before Universal Credit is due - at last - to be fully rolled out.

Source: Daily Mirror February 28, 2021 11:55 UTC