MORE than 30,000 people are urging the government not to remove the £20-a-week universal credit (UC) increase in next month’s Budget.

The benefits increase — amounting to £1,040 a year — was introduced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic last April to help millions of low-income households.

The government has not committed to retaining the benefits increase, despite growing levels of in-work poverty.