Owen Smith MP, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary,responding to the new analysis by IFS on Universal Credit said:

“This IFS report leaves Iain Duncan Smith’s claims for Universal Credit in tatters. Everyone can now see that successive cuts to Universal Credit have destroyed many of the work incentives that were supposed to be the very reason for the scheme, hitting single parents particularly hard. 

“As was the case with Tax Credits, from this April low and middle paid working families will start losing as a result of these cuts - a single parent in full time work will be £3,000 a year worse off.  So the Tories must use next month’s Budget to change course and listen to Labour’s demand to stop cuts to Universal Credit that will take an average of £1,600 from working families and risk causing a financial disaster for millions.”