The chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed the extension of the Universal Credit uplift for a further six months.

This £20 a week uplift - due to expire on March 31 - will now continue until the end of September.

The news comes in the days following the release of the latest Universal Credit numbers by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

In line with recent months, the boroughs of Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, Newham and Tower Hamlets have experienced a small jump in claimant numbers - ranging from a 1.9 per cent jump in Barking and Dagenham to a 2.4pc increase in Newham and Tower Hamlets respectively.

With respect to number increase, 1,287 new claimants came on board in Newham between December and January, while 439 did so in Havering.

The London-wide increase of 2pc exceeds the average 1.6pc seen across England, with all recipients set to benefit from the uplift payment for a further six months.