Owen Smith, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on the government’s response to the Social Security Advisory Committee's report on Universal Credit, said:

“Working families set to lose thousands of pounds next year, because of cuts to Universal Credit will be livid at the Tories’ offhand suggestion that they just work more hours. 

“A single mother working full time with two children is set to be up £3,000 worse off as a result of the cuts, while 2.6 million working families stand to lose an average of £1,600.

“It’s the measure of Iain Duncan Smith that he is trying to shift the blame for the cuts on to the victims. His Christmas message is work an extra 200 hours a year and you’ll be no worse off.

“Instead, the Tories should come back in the new year, show they have learned their lesson from the tax credits fiasco and issue a full U-turn on the cuts to Universal Credit.

“It’s also deeply worrying that the government have ignored the SSAC’s recommendations on tackling delays in the system. Especially as today the Work and Pensions Select Committee has again warned that hold ups are risking people losing their homes and going hungry.”