I’m hugely concerned that Universal Credit (UC) numbers in St Helens North have rocketed by a starling 65% since March, making clear yet again the deep-felt consequences of this pandemic for low-income families.

There were 9,400 people in our communities on UC in May 2020, which includes those both in and out of work. This is a sharp rise of nearly 4,000 since March.

We in St Helens borough know how long-term unemployment, in-work precarity and poverty can devastate livelihoods in communities like ours.

It’s why we need a Back to Work budget; one focusing on jobs, decent wages and measured support, so that local people are not plunged further into hardship by this crisis.