Millions of people left in grim limbo after botched budget

The Conservatives are continuing to refuse to confirm if benefit payments will be increased in line with inflation.

Millions of people are left in a grim limbo this week because of the Government's unfunded tax cuts for the richest companies. The repercussions of this botched budget will be felt for years to come and look set to hit the lowest paid the hardest.

A couple on Universal Credit would face a £290 real-terms cut to their income if the government only uprates benefits in line with earnings instead of inflation, new analysis has revealed.

The research from the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, uses the latest ONS figures showing regular pay rose by 5.4%, compared to expected inflation of 10%.

A household with two Universal Credit claimants aged over 25 would see their support slashed by £290 in real terms next year if benefits were only raised in line with earnings rather than inflation. A single person on Universal Credit would lose £185 a year while single adults would lose £146.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to commit to uprating benefits in line with inflation in the next 24 hours to avoid sleepless nights for the most vulnerable in Britain.

The meaningless waffle we heard from Ministers this morning is frankly an insult to struggling families and pensioners across the country.

Truss must scrap this budget to save the economy and give those on benefits a much needed lifeline this winter.