Nearly two-thirds of Scots want to maintain the £20-per-week uplift in Universal Credit introduced because of the Covid pandemic at least until the economy improves, a poll has suggested.

Around 35 per cent of people surveyed by YouGov supported keeping it in place until the financial situation created by the pandemic was “more stable” while 28% said it should be made permanent.

The UK Government increased Universal Credit by £1,040 per year at the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, but now plans to cut the payment in September, despite opposition warnings it will return thousands of families back to poverty.

The return to pre-Covid benefit levels is driven by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the Treasury.

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS), which commissioned the polling, said the uplift supports almost half a million people in Scotland.

The charity said its previous research had found that cutting the £20 per week would reduce the value of the benefit in real terms to below what it was worth when it was first introduced in 2013, despite the cost of living rising.

CAS social justice spokeswoman Nina Ballantyne said: “Increasing Universal Credit by £20 per week at the start of the pandemic was an absolute lifeline for people and a recognition that payments were too low. Cutting it would push hundreds of thousands of people into crisis.

“A clear majority of people support keeping the increase until at least we have recovered from the pandemic – and with furlough winding down in the autumn and a real risk of job losses, that recovery will not be overnight.

“There’s still time to cancel this cut and ensure people get the support they need.”

Some 1,007 adults were surveyed online between May 20 and 25, with the figures weighted and representative of all Scottish adults.

Some 10% of respondents said the uplift should end sooner than September, 11% said it should end in September and 16% answered “don’t know”.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies says making the uplift permanent would cost £6billion a year.

SNP MP David Linden last week called for “an urgent U-turn” on the plan to end the uplift.

“Household incomes have already been hammered by a decade of Tory austerity cuts, with in-work poverty rising to record levels on Boris Johnson’s watch,” he said.

“Scotland is increasingly vulnerable under Westminster control. Ultimately, the only way to keep Scotland safe from the long-term damage of Tory cuts is to become an independent country, with the full powers needed to build a strong, fair and equal recovery and eradicate poverty.”

UK Government spokesman said: “The temporary Universal Credit uplift was brought in to support those with the lowest incomes during the pandemic.

“Our focus now is on our multibillion-pound Plan For Jobs, which will help people learn new skills to progress in their career, increase their hours or find new work.

“Meanwhile, the Scottish Government has significant welfare powers and can top up existing benefits, pay discretionary payments and create entirely new benefits in areas of devolved responsibility.”