TORY ministers have been told that they must not ditch the £20 increase in universal credit brought in during the coronavirus pandemic by the heads of committees at Westminster and in the devolved assemblies. 

The conveners of panels in the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd and the Northern Ireland Assembly as well as the UK Parliament have jointly written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey pleading with them to take their calls to extend the uplift seriously. 

Today’s letter hit out at ministers for resisting pressure from anti-poverty campaigners and said that there should also be a £20 boost to so-called legacy benefits.