Yesterday, the Work and Pensions Select Committee, which Stephen chairs, released its report on cost of living support payments. The report found that the payments were not enough and only offered recipients a short-term reprieve from hardship.
The Government introduced a package of measures to support vulnerable people through the cost of living crisis in 2023. The package included payments to those in receipt of certain benefits to help them face rising costs.
Stephen’s committee commissioned a survey of 2,000 recipients of cost of living support. They found that payments had not reached all low-income households and were often too little. Additional payments to disabled people, for example, amounted to only £150 despite many people with disabilities facing soaring energy bills to use assistive technologies. Families with children were also offered the same flat rate as childless couples.
The Committee did praise the Government for the speed it delivered the cost of living payments at. The payments were automatic, removing a key barrier to access for many recipients. However, the Committee recommended increasing Universal Credit in future to avoid the complexities and flaws of adding a new system.
“While the support payments have made an important impact in helping those most in need during these difficult times, the overall package has offered just a short-term reprieve for many, while others have slipped through the safety net altogether,” Stephen said.
“It is vital that the Government listens to those with every day experience of support payments so it learns important lessons should a new package of support be required in the future.”