Annex: Declining real value of Universal Credit by claimant/household type
Data excerpted from Abstract of DWP benefit rate statistics 2023[40]
| Universal Credit at April 2023 prices (in GBP/£) | ||||||||
| Date of Uprating | For a single person under 25 | For a single person aged 25 or over | For a couple (both under 25) | For a couple (one or both aged 25 or over) | ||||
| Rate of Universal Credit £/month | Average real CPI value of UC over period the rate was applied | Rate of Universal Credit £/month | Average real CPI value of UC over period the rate was applied | Rate of Universal Credit £/month | Average real CPI value of UC over period the rate was applied | Rate of Universal Credit £/month | Average real CPI value of UC over period the rate was applied | |
| April 2015 | 251.77 | 328.01 | 317.82 | 414.06 | 395.20 | 514.87 | 498.89 | 649.96 |
| April 2016 | 251.77 | 324.44 | 317.82 | 409.56 | 395.20 | 509.27 | 498.89 | 642.89 |
| April 2017 | 251.77 | 315.53 | 317.82 | 398.31 | 395.20 | 495.28 | 498.89 | 625.23 |
| April 2018 | 251.77 | 308.56 | 317.82 | 389.51 | 395.20 | 484.34 | 498.89 | 611.42 |
| April 2019 | 251.77 | 303.31 | 317.82 | 382.88 | 395.20 | 476.10 | 498.89 | 601.02 |
| April 2020 announced rate | 256.05 | 306.53 | 323.22 | 386.94 | 401.92 | 481.16 | 507.37 | 607.40 |
| April 2020 with pandemic increase | 342.72 | 410.29 | 409.89 | 490.70 | 488.59 | 584.92 | 594.04 | 711.16 |
| April 2021 with pandemic increase | 344.00 | 396.09 | 411.51 | 473.83 | 490.60 | 564.89 | 596.58 | 686.92 |
| From October 2021 uprating | 257.33 | 296.30 | 324.84 | 374.03 | 403.93 | 465.10 | 509.91 | 587.13 |
| April 2022 | 265.31 | 277.64 | 334.91 | 350.48 | 416.45 | 435.81 | 525.72 | 550.15 |
| April 2023 | 292.11 | [Not Available] | 368.74 | [Not Available] | 458.51 | [Not Available] | 578.82 | [Not Available] |
[1] See Human Rights Watch, Nothing Left in the Cupboards: Austerity, Welfare Cuts, and the Right to Food in the UK, May 2019, https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/05/20/nothing-left-cupboards/austerity-welfare-cuts-and-right-food-uk; Kartik Raj, "UK's Unfair Child Welfare Support Rules," commentary, Human Rights Watch dispatch, August 7, 2019, https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/08/07/uks-unfair-child-welfare-support-rules; Kartik Raj, "UK Government Should End Cruel 'Two-Child Limit' Now," commentary, Human Rights Watch dispatch, September 20, 2024, https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/09/20/uk-government-should-end-cruel-two-child-limit-now; Kartik Raj, "Study Finds Third of UK Children Living in Poverty," commentary, Human Rights Watch dispatch, November 20, 2024, https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/11/20/study-finds-third-uk-children-living-poverty; Human Rights Watch, Automated Hardship: How the Tech-Driven Overhaul of the UK's Social Security System Worsens Poverty, September 2020, https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/09/29/automated-hardship/how-tech-driven-overhaul-uks-social-security-system-worsens; Human Rights Watch and The Childhood Trust, 'I Want Us to Live Like Humans Again': Families in Temporary Accommodation in London, UK, January 2022, https://www.hrw.org/report/2022/01/17/i-want-us-live-humans-again/families-temporary-accommodation-london-uk; Human Rights Watch and Just Fair, 'I Felt So Stuck': Inadequate Housing and Social Support for Families Seeking Asylum in the United Kingdom, September 2023, https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/09/14/i-felt-so-stuck/inadequate-housing-and-social-support-families-seeking-asylum; Human Rights Watch, 'Years Don't Wait for Them': Increased Inequalities in Children's Right to Education Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, May 2021, https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/05/17/years-dont-wait-them/increased-inequalities-childrens-right-education-due-covid; Human Rights Watch, UK: Children in England Going Hungry With Schools Shut, May 2020, https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/28/uk-children-england-going-hungry-schools-shut; and Human Rights Watch, Unmet Needs: Improper Social Care Assessments for Older People in England, January 2019, https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/01/10/unmet-needs/improper-social-care-assessments-older-people-england.
[2] Letter from Human Rights Watch to UK Parliamentarians Regarding Impending Cut to Social Security Support, September 2, 2021, https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/09/03/human-rights-watch-letter-uk-parliamentarians-regarding-impending-cut-social; Just Fair, Amnesty International UK, René Cassin, Liberty, and Human Rights Watch, Joint NGO Statement on the Guarantee Our Essentials Campaign, September 29, 2023, https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/09/29/joint-ngo-statement-guarantee-our-essentials-campaign; and Human Rights Watch, Submission to the European Committee of Social Rights: Comments on the ad hoc report of the United Kingdom, July 2024, https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/08/19/human-rights-watch-submission-european-committee-social-rights.
[3] CESCR, List of Issues, E/C.12/GBR/Q/7, March 23, 2023, https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=E%2FC.12%2FGBR%2FQ%2F7&Lang=en; and E/C.12/GBR/RQ/7 consulted via GOV.UK website, "United Kingdom's response to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights List of Issues Report," and "Annex," published September 12, 2024, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdoms-response-to-the-committee-on-economic-social-and-cultural-rights-list-of-issues-report
[4]Human Rights Watch, UK: Submission to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 72nd pre-session, January 2023, https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/01/17/uk-submission-un-committee-economic-social-and-cultural-rights; Human Rights Watch, "UK: Statement to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Pre-Sessional Working Group," March 8, 2023, https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/03/08/uk-statement-un-committee-economic-social-and-cultural-rights-pre-sessional-working.
[5] E/C.12/GBR/RQ/7, p. 7. The Supreme Court's full reasoning can be found in R (on the application of SC, CB and 8 children) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and others, [2021] UKSC 26, July 9, 2021, https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/uksc-2019-0135, paragraphs 7(i) and 74-96. The "unincorporated international treaty" referred to in R (SC & Others) was the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but the constitutional principle would apply equally to the ICESCR. The UK government defines unincorporated international treaties as "treaties which the is UK is bound by as a matter of international law but has not given domestic effect through domestic legislation." See E/C.12/GBR/RQ/7, fn. 1.
[6] Letter from Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice to Convener of the Scottish Parliament's Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, September 4, 2024, https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/equalities-human-rights-and-civil-justice-committee/correspondence/2024/human-rights-bill-for-scotland-4-september-2024.pdf.
[7] Human Rights Watch, 'That's When the Nightmare Started': UK and US Forced Displacement of the Chagossians and Ongoing Colonial Crimes, February 2023,https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/02/15/thats-when-nightmare-started/uk-and-us-forced-displacement-chagossians-and; and Clive Baldwin and Anthony Gale, "Interview: UK, US Treatment of Chagossians a Continuing Colonial Crime," Human Rights Watch interview, February 15, 2023, https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/02/15/interview-uk-us-treatment-chagossians-continuing-colonial-crime.
[8] E/C.12/GBR/Q/7, paragraph 8(a), and Annex to E/C.12/GBR/RQ/7, p. 2-3.
[9] DWP, "Below Average Resources: Developing a new poverty measure," June 11, 2024, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/below-average-resources-developing-a-new-poverty-measure/below-average-resources-developing-a-new-poverty-measure. The new measure is based on an approach developed by the independent Social Metrics Commission. See also Social Metrics Commission, "Measuring Poverty 2024," October 2024, https://socialmetricscommission.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SMC-2024-Report-Web-Hi-Res.pdf.
[10] E/C.12/GBR/RQ/7, p. 7, 14 and Annex, paragraph 9.
[11] Equality Act 2010, Part 1, section 1, available at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/1.
[12] See https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/09/29/joint-ngo-statement-guarantee-our-essentials-campaign; AIUK technical note, https://www.amnesty.org.uk/essentials-guarantee-campaign-technical-note; and https://www.jrf.org.uk/social-security/guarantee-our-essentials-reforming-universal-credit-to-ensure-we-can-all-afford-the.
[13] E/C.12/GBR/Q/7, paragraph 24.
[14] E/C.12/GBR/RQ/7, p. 27.
[15] Frank Hobson, "The impact of the two-child limit in Universal Credit," House of Commons Library Research Briefing, February 14, 2024, https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9301/CBP-9301.pdf.
[16] DWP & HM Revenue & Customs, "Official statistics: Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children, April 2024," July 11, 2024, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/universal-credit-and-child-tax-credit-claimants-statistics-related-to-the-policy-to-provide-support-for-a-maximum-of-2-children-april-2024/universal-credit-and-child-tax-credit-claimants-statistics-related-to-the-policy-to-provide-support-for-a-maximum-of-two-children-april-2024.
[17] CPAG, "10,000 children dragged into poverty by two-child limit since Labour took office," October 7, 2024, https://cpag.org.uk/news/10000-children-dragged-poverty-two-child-limit-labour-took-office.
[18] E/C.12/GBR/RQ/7, p. 27.
[19] Ruth Patrick et. al. "An impossible move?: Households' experience of trying to escape the Benefit Cap," CASE/233, July 2024, London School of Economics, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, https://www.lse.ac.uk/News/News-Assets/PDFs/2024/CASEpaper233-An-impossible-move.pdf; Ruth Patrick, "The UK's two child benefit limit has rightly caused outrage. But another cruel policy needs urgent attention," The Guardian, September 17, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/17/uk-two-child-benefit-limit-benefit-cap-families-poverty.
[20] Steven Kennedy, "Benefit Cap," House of Commons Library, June 14, 2023, https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/benefit-cap/.
[21] DWP, "Official Statistics: Benefit cap: Number of households capped to May 2024," September 17, 2024, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-may-2024/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-may-2024.
[22] "Oral statement to Parliament: Chancellor statement on public spending inheritance," July 29, 2024, https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/chancellor-statement-on-public-spending-inheritance.
[23] Peter Walker and Dan Sabbagh, "We did not do impact assessment of winter fuel payment cut, No 10 admits," The Guardian, September 12, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/sep/12/no-winter-fuel-payments-impact-assessment-was-carried-out-no-10-admits; and Letter from the Chair of the Social Security Advisory Committee to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, September 20, 2024, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6709199430536cb927483050/ssac-letter-to-sswp-social-fund-wfp-regs-2024.pdf.
[24] Letter from Liz Kendall MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to the Chair of the UK Parliament Work and Pensions Select Committee, November 19, 2024, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/673caa0a9a48a5ab14acc3f0/winter-fuel-payments-eligibility-change-letter.pdf.
[25] E/C.12/GBR/Q/7, paragraph 33.
[26] E/C.12/GBR/RQ/7, p. 41-42.
[27] Joss Macdonald, "Does Labour's food strategy mean the food system is finally being prioritized?" Food Foundation blog, December 12, 2024, https://foodfoundation.org.uk/news/does-labours-food-strategy-mean-food-system-finally-being-prioritised; British Nutrition Foundation, "New National Food Strategy," December 11, 2024, https://www.nutrition.org.uk/news/new-national-food-strategy/.
[28] DWP, "Household Food Security," in "United Kingdom Food Security Report 2024: Theme 4: Food Security at Household Level," December 11, 2024, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024-theme-4-food-security-at-household-level.
[29] "4.1.1 Household Food Security status," in UK Food Security Report 2024.
[30] "4.1.5 Food Aid," in UK Food Security Report 2024.
[31] Human Rights Watch and The Childhood Trust, 'I Want Us to Live Like Humans Again'.
[32] Human Rights Watch and Just Fair, 'I Felt So Stuck'.
[33] E/C.12/GBR/Q/7, paragraph 30(g).
[34] Human Rights Watch and The Childhood Trust, 'I Want Us to Live Like Humans Again'.
[35] E/C.12/GBR/Q/7, paragraph 30(g).
[36] E/C.12/GBR/RQ/7, p. 16.
[37] Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, "An inspection of contingency asylum accommodation, May 2021-November 2021," May 2022, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63f365308fa8f5612c4f5341/An_inspection_of_contingency_asylum_accommodation.pdf.
[38] Mihnea Cubus, Peter William Walsh, and Madeleine Sumption, "Briefing: the UK's asylum backlog," May 2024, The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/MigObs-Briefing-The-UKs-Asylum-Backlog-2024.pdf, p. 13 and 15
[39] Human Rights Watch and Just Fair, 'I Felt So Stuck'.
[40] Office of National Statistics/DWP, "Abstract of DWP Benefit Rate Statistics 2023," January 24, 2024, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65afaea1334849000dc73931/data-tables-abstract-of-dwp-benefit-rate-statistics-2023.ods, tables 15-18.
