New petition calls for DWP benefits to increase in line with current rate of inflation

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A new petition is calling on the UK Government to increase benefits in line with current levels of inflation to help “stop the cost of living crisis becoming a poverty emergency”.

Benefits delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) that are linked to inflation, increased by 3.1% on April 11 along with the Basic and New State Pension payment rates, following the temporary suspension of the Triple Lock rule.The uprating is determined by the September 2021 Consumer Price Index (CPI), which was 3.1%, however, inflation has been rising due to the current cost of living crisis and soared to a 30-year high of 7% for March.

The shortfall prompted songwriter and activist, Simon Baum, to create the petition on the petitions-parliament website at the end of March - when inflation was at 6.2%.

He explained how rising inflation will “hit the poorest families hardest and failing to increase benefits to match will push more people into poverty”.The petition has received more than 6,000 signatures of support so far and at 10,000 will satisfy the threshold which triggers an official response from the UK Government.The uprating in line with inflation is something Labour MP Mike Amesbury, Shadow Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government, also put to the DWP.He asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Therese Coffey, if there will be an increase to Personal Independence Payments (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Universal Credit in line with inflation.