The letter, written by a coalition of charities, food bank providers, housing organisations and debt advisors among others details the following: “We welcomed the swift action you took at the start of the pandemic to implement this much needed investment.

“Falling incomes and rising costs throughout the pandemic have put families under immense financial pressure, but the £20 uplift has been a lifeline that has enabled many of them to keep their heads above water and has stopped us seeing a marked surge in poverty levels.

“However, if the uplift ends in April 2021, this good work risks being undermined.

“Modelling by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation indicates that around 16 million people will be in households facing an overnight income loss equivalent to £1,040 a year, with those on the lowest incomes and families with children being hardest hit.

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