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Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Raising the value of benefits would have been preferable to sending out a string of lump sum cost of living payments to households, according to a leading UK economics thinktank which has dubbed the sporadic cash boosts an “ineffective sticking plaster”.

Cost of living payments are ‘ineffective sticking plaster’, warns IFS

A member the public looks through food items inside a foodbank. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)

Record number of food parcels handed out in Ribble Valley last year

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation that 38% of families in Burnley and Padiham are set to suffer a real-terms cut to their income if the Government reneges on its commitment to raise benefits in line with inflation

Concern over Burnley benefit claimants

A total of 6,507 families in Burnley are already living in fuel poverty, according to government data. Photo: Getty

Thousands of Burnley families already living in fuel poverty ahead of looming en...

Data from the Department of Work and Pensions shows that in May, there were 12,776 Universal Credit claimants in Burnley

More than 12,000 people in Burnley could lose "lifeline" Universal Credit boost

Office for National Statistics data shows 4,845 people were claiming out-of-work benefits in Burnley as of September 10th

Burnley unemployment benefit claims still well above pre-pandemic levels

The increase in payments was only designed to last a year. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Universal Credit payments could be decreased in April 2021 - here's why

Some 4,850 people were claiming out-of-work benefits in Burnley as of July 9th

Burnley unemployment benefit claims still far higher than before coronavirus

In Burnley, 33.1% of children under 16 were living in families with relative low incomes in 2018-19

Burnley has one of the highest proportions of children in low-income families

There were 344 job vacancies in Burnley on June 14th

Burnley sees number of job vacancies plummet

Lots of layers to keep out the cold

Vital to help those trapped in fuel poverty