MILLIONS of low-paid workers are facing a “perfect storm” of higher energy bills and tax rises as universal credit (UC) falls behind the cost of living, according to a new report.

The TUC said that its research suggested the number of workers on UC has increased by 1.3 million since just before the start of the pandemic.

The union organisation called on the government to improve the “woefully inadequate” level of support for low-income families.