A Treasury minister has refused to give a commitment to increase benefits in line with inflation next year.
The Office for National Statistics today published figures which showed inflation in the 12 months to September was 6.7 per cent.
The September inflation figure is normally used by the Government as the baseline for uprating benefits in the following April.
In September 2022 inflation was 10.1 per cent and that was the figure used by ministers for the increase in April this year.
But Andrew Griffith, the economic secretary to the Treasury, would not be drawn this morning on whether today’s figure will be used, seemingly leaving the door open to a potential below-inflation increase.
He told Sky News: “We have just had I think five minutes ago the numbers so you are absolutely right, it is normally the case that following the September release of headline inflation that my colleagues in government, the Department for Work and Pensions Secretary, assesses and makes recommendations about what to do with public benefits.
“That process is yet to happen. It wouldn’t be right to come out immediately after today’s figures. We should let that process run.”
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2023-10-18 10:06:04Z
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