Commenting on the suggestion by his junior Treasury Secretary Chris Philp that the UK may not hike benefits in line with the rising inflation, Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng said: “We are talking about helping people in the round. It’s premature of me to come to a decision about that.”

CAS social justice spokesperson Stephanie Millar said: “This time last year Universal Credit was cut by £20 per week. Since then we have seen an unprecedented cost of living crisis where incomes haven’t matched the increase in bills and prices in the shops. As temperatures fall and costs rise people could freeze or starve without adequate support.

“People are struggling badly, and the long term impact of inadequate levels of social security is more people in debt and more pressure on public services. It may feel like a saving in the first instance to the Treasury, but the impact will cost more on the long run.

“The Government should commit to uprating benefits, not cutting the safety net.”