Pressure is building to offer a financial "lifeline" to families receiving Universal Credit as research found three in five have been forced into debt during the coronavirus lockdown.
Research for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and Save the Children surveyed 3,105 parents of children under 18 claiming either Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit during late May and early June.
It found that 60% of families receiving the benefits had turned to payday loans or using credit cards to borrow money. The survey also revealed that 86% of families have faced extra household costs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, with half saying they were behind with rent or other bills.