Philip Hammond Urged To Give ‘Rescue Package’ To Families Hit By Decade-Long Benefits Squeeze

However, he said that while inflation next year was forecast to be around 20% higher than in 2010, child benefit and the basic 30-hour elements of working tax credit would be only 2% higher.

“I very much hope that, having considered these new data, the Chancellor will begin setting out, in the Spring Statement, a rescue package for the living standards of families with children whose incomes have been wrecked by successive waves of caps and freezes,” Field said.

The MP, who is the chair of parliament’s work and pensions committee, said he was compelled to call on Hammond after witnessing the “horror” of his Birkenhead constituents being forced to rely on food projects to survive.

“In the light of these trends, it is not difficult to see why so many families, reliant on low-waged jobs, now seek help from their local food bank,” he said.

A spokesperson for the government said that it’s priority was to support people to improve their lives.

“Last week’s figures show the unemployment rate is the joint lowest since 1975 and wages are growing at the fastest rate in over a decade, outpacing inflation for nearly a year,” they said.

“We know that some people need more support. That’s why we’re spending £90 billion to support families who need it, and by 2022 we will be spending £28 billion more on welfare than we do now.”