SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has urged the Prime Minister to commit to a permanent uplift in Universal Credit, as well as extending the uplift to legacy benefits.

He said: “The Office for National Statistics figures published yesterday demonstrate what the SNP have been warning about for months – that the UK faces a growing Tory unemployment crisis.

“It is now beyond doubt that the Chancellor’s last-minute furlough U-turn came far too late for thousands who’ve already lost their jobs as a result of Tory cuts and delays and the dither that took place.

“To support those who have lost their incomes, will the Prime Minister now commit to make the £20 uplift to Universal Credit permanent and extend it to legacy benefits so that no-one is left behind?”

Boris Johnson responded: “Yes, of course that uplift continues until March and I’m delighted to say that the furlough scheme is being extended right the way through to March as well, and that will support people across our whole United Kingdom, protecting jobs and livelihoods across the whole UK in exactly the way that he and I would both want.”

Blackford accused Johnson of refusing to “lift a finger” to help families excluded from UK Government support schemes: “Another group who’ve been left behind by this Prime Minister are the three million people who have been completely excluded from UK Government support. Since the start of this crisis, the Prime Minister has repeatedly refused to lift a finger to help these families.

“Can I say to him, in the run-up to Christmas, the forgotten millions will be amongst those who are struggling to get by and worried about their future. So can I ask the Prime Minister, will he finally fix the serious gaps in support schemes to help the excluded or will he make it a bitter winter for millions of families?”

Johnson said that the UK is “continuing with the up-rating of Universal Credit until next year”.