Liberal Democrat DWP Spokesperson Christine Jardine has called for the Chancellor to use his Spring Statement to end the freeze on working-age benefits, including Universal Credit and tax credits.

It comes as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation publishes new statistics [08 March 2019 00:01] revealing that, should the final year of the freeze go ahead, the benefits freeze will end up pushing 400,000 more people into poverty since 2015.

Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine said:

The Conservative freeze on working-age benefits is causing real pain and misery that must be stopped. Liberal Democrats demand better than the Tories’ cruel policy of balancing the books on the backs of the poorest.

Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for an urgent end to the benefits freeze and a full restoration of the billions the Tories’ cut from Universal Credit. Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s report proves all families and children would benefit, particularly the most vulnerable.

The Spring Statement is the last chance to scrap the benefits freeze before the final year of the freeze kicks in. The Chancellor must end the misery. If he doesn’t, he should be in no doubt that every life made harder and every child pushed into poverty will be on his watch.