UNIVERSAL Credit is falling when families when they need it most, Save the Children has warned today (Monday) in response to a new analysis published by the Trades Union Congress (TUC). 

The TUC analysis shows that the number of working families on Universal Credit has increased by 1.3 million since before the pandemic, meaning that 1 in 14 working adults now claim Universal Credit.

The analysis also shows that the value of UC has fallen by £12 a month in real terms when measured against CPI inflation and £21 a month when measured against RPI inflation compared to just before the pandemic (February 2020).

And new polling, also published by the TUC, shows that nearly 1 in 5 (18%) families with children under 11 will struggle to afford the basics in the next six months.

Commenting on the TUC’s analysis, Dan Paskins, Director of UK Impact at Save the Children, said: 

“The social security system should support people through tough times. But this analysis shows that, when millions of families need it most, the value of universal credit is falling.

“As the price of food, fuel and energy rockets, nearly a fifth of families with young children are struggling to afford even the basics. Parents we work with tell us they’re making impossible choices between eating and heating their homes, and children are paying the price.

“So far, the government has failed to target enough support at the families who need it most. To get families through the cost-of-living crisis, and protect children from poverty, ministers must invest in the social security system to ensure that it provides families with enough to live on.”