Jeremy Hunt urged not to use sharp fall in inflation to squeeze benefits

Charities say it would be indefensible to raise working age benefits in line with CPI figure for October instead of reading for September

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Anti-poverty charities have said it would be “indefensible” for the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, to use the sharp drop in inflation last month to justify increasing working age benefits by a smaller amount in order to save up to £2bn from the welfare bill.

It is understood that the Treasury is considering using October’s consumer price index figure of 4.6% for the annual uprating in the benefits, instead of the usual September reading, which was 6.7%.