TWO Bradford Conservative MPs are members of the 50-strong Northern Research Group putting pressure on the Government to extend its Universal Credit uplift.

Shipley's Philip Davies and Keighley's Robbie Moore are members of the group of Northern Conservative MPs who have said the Government's planned cut to Universal Credit of £20 a week would be "devastating" for millions of families.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been among the leading voices pushing for the end to the extension which was brought in at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Labour has called a vote on extending the benefits boost during today's Opposition Day in Parliament, and there is significant pressure from both the front and backbenches of the Conservative Party for the uplift to stay.

The Northern Research Group said in a statement: “The £1,000 uplift to Universal Credit has been a real life-saver for people throughout this pandemic. To end it now would be devastating.”

These MPs - which also includes Calder Valley's Craig Whittaker - have also rejected Sunak’s proposal to replace the uplift with a £500 one-off payment.

The Prime Minister has been warned by his opposite number Sir Keir Starmer that millions of families will be £1,000 a year worse off if the Government scraps the increase.

Labour leader Sir Keir said that failing to give families a “helping hand” through the coronavirus pandemic would “slow our economic recovery as we come out of it”.

The Government temporarily increased the benefit to help families through the Covid crisis, but the uplift is due to expire in April, potentially hitting the incomes of six million families.

Labour will use its opposition day debate in the Commons on Monday afternoon to force a vote on the plans. Conservative MPs are expected to abstain.

Sir Keir said: “Families across the UK have spent the past year worried for their loved ones, their jobs and their family’s security.

“Millions of people have had to juggle childcare with working from home, have seen jobs or incomes cut or been excluded from self-employed support.

“If we don’t give a helping hand to families through this pandemic, then we are going to slow our economic recovery as we come out of it.

“We began 2021 with one of the worst death tolls in Europe and the deepest recession of any major economy.

“Without action from Government, millions of families face a £1,000 per year shortfall in the midst of a historic crisis.

“We urge Boris Johnson to change course and give families certainty today that their incomes will be protected.”

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said: “This Conservative Government has consistently stepped up to support low income families and the most vulnerable in society throughout this pandemic and will continue to do so."

The debate comes amid a warning from the Resolution Foundation that scrapping the £20 a week uplift will lead to a particularly tough 2021 for low-income households, whose incomes could fall by four per cent.

The think tank estimated that the withdrawal of the benefit increase would drive up relative poverty from 21 per cent to 23 per cent by 2024-25, pushing a further 730,000 children into poverty.

Karl Handscomb, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “The living standards outlook for 2021 looks bleak at present – but the Government can directly improve it.

“Deciding if the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit should be extended will determine whether millions of households are able to enjoy any sort of living standards recovery next year.

“And looking further ahead, the decision on whether to keep the UC boost will help define whether this is to be a parliament of ‘levelling up’ living standards, or pushing up poverty.”