THE UK Government has been told to make the £20 Universal Credit uplift permanent as almost half a million Scots are now claiming the benefit.

Citizens Advice Scotland has pointed to an 85 per cent increase in people in Scotland now claiming Universal Credit since the start of the pandemic in March 2019 as the scale of the Covid-19 crisis is made clear.

The £20 uplift to Universal Credit payments was introduced by the UK Government in April 2020 in response to the first Covid-19 lockdown which left thousands relying on the benefit.

But it is due to expire in March – with no indication from Westminster as to whether it will be extended or made permanent, despite speculation Chancellor Rishi Sunak could do so at March’s Budget.

Writing in The Herald, Debbie Horne, senior policy officer at Citizens Advice Scotland, has highlighted that her organisation has ”provided a staggering 110,485 pieces of advice to people on Universal Credit” so far during the pandemic - stressing that is “more than double the advice given on Universal Credit in the financial year ending March 2019”.

She added: “For all the uncertainty that exists right now, one thing the Citizens Advice network can be sure of is that Universal Credit will continue to be one of our biggest areas of advice over the course of 2021.

“Major decisions on the future of Universal Credit payments will be made in a few short months. It’s essential that this year the UK Government act to strengthen social security, rather than cutting holes into the safety net.”

With no decision yet to be made on whether the £20 uplift will be made permanent or extended at the UK Government Budget in March, Ms Horne has warned that “nearly half a million people in Scotland who currently receive universal Credit face an annual cut of £1,040 from their income in less than three months’ time”, adding that “the consequence of cutting this vital lifeline cannot be overstated”.

She added: "The reality is that any of us might find ourselves relying on the social security system and when we do the support should be adequate."

The SNP has consistently called for the £20 uplift to be made permanent by ministers in response to the pandemic.

The party's Treasury spokesperson, Alison Thewliss, has also called on the Chancellor to "extend it to those on legacy benefits, and increase the pitiful level of statutory sick pay to protect those affected by coronavirus.”

Data from the Department for Work and Pensions shows there are 475,000 Universal Credit claimants in Scotland – showing an 80 per cent rise since the beginning of the pandemic.

A spokeswoman for the UK Government, said: “We know this is a difficult time for many, that’s why we’ve boosted welfare support by billions of pounds and spent hundreds of billions to safeguard jobs across the UK.”