Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced major rises to benefits, pensions and the minimum wage from next April. Mr Hunt was speaking in the House of Commons as he detailed the UK government's autumn statement.
Hunt said that working and disability benefits would rise in line with inflation from April next year. That will include a 10.1% increase in Universal Credit. He said this would mean an average rise to a family receiving Universal Credit would get an extra of £600 a year, and that 10 million working-age families would benefit. Mr Hunt said that the cost of the policy would be £11bn.
On the national living wage, Mr Hunt said he had accepted a recommendation to increase it by 9.7%, making the hourly rate £10.42 from April 2023 for everyone aged over 23 years old.
