The Department for Work and Pensions is facing calls to introduce a new minimum guarantee for Universal Credit, a proposal that would legally ensure claimants can cover core essentials. The idea, put forward by the left-leaning thinktank Compass, has the backing of 59 per cent of the public, according to Joseph Rowntree Foundation polling.
Proposal details: a legal floor for Universal Credit
Under the proposal, the basic rate of Universal Credit would be set at a level at least high enough to afford essentials, and could not be reduced below this amount by deductions such as debt repayments or the benefit cap. Rate setting would be guided by an evidence-based advisory process that includes testimony from people with experience of living on a low income, the proposal adds.
Compass, which is backed by Neal Lawson, an ally of Andy Burnham, suggests that claimants in a couple could receive up to £205 a week under the new system.
Public support and polling breakdown
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation polling shows that guaranteeing all Universal Credit recipients can at least cover the cost of core essentials is popular with the public. As many as 59 per cent of people support the idea, rising to 72 per cent among Labour 2024 voters.
Compass states: "The salience of the cost of living reflects voters' concern not just for their own lives, but those of their relatives, friends and neighbours too: 57 per cent say we cannot properly tackle the cost of living without taking action to improve the lives of those facing deep hardship, a figure that rises to 63 per cent among 2024 Labour voters."
Political reaction and risks
Support for an essentials guarantee is lower among people intending to vote Reform or Conservative, but still net positive at 48 per cent and 50 per cent respectively, more than twice the proportion opposed in each case. Compass notes the main risk is an adverse reaction among the right-leaning media, although an argument about a system that ensures everyone has the basic essentials to live on is hard to oppose.
