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Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt last night refused to pledge to end the benefits freeze.

It comes despite Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd warning that it was “essential” that the next Prime Minister ends the freeze.

The current four-year cap on working-age benefits is up for review next year.

Ms Rudd said she had already held conversations with Chancellor Philip Hammond over raising benefits in line with inflation once again.

The government had said that the freze was due to end in 2020.

But neither candidate last night would pledge to end the freeze.

(Image: Getty Images)

Mr Hunt said that Ms Rudd has been lobbying behind the scenes but refused to commit to the policy change.

He said: "I will look at that very sympathetically.

"She has persuaded me that we do need to end the five-week wait for Universal Credit .

"So if she recommended it I would look at it."

Mr Johnson said that he had made enough spending commitments.

Mr Johnson added: "When it comes to the four-year freeze, I think I have probably made enough spending commitments.

"I am going to have a look at it.

(Image: Getty Images)

"But I am going to avoid making policy on it here tonight."

The Work and Pensions Secretary has said said she would be making a “strong case” for the next Government to find the £1.5billion a year needed to lift the benefits freeze.

First introduced in 2015 by then Chancellor George Osborne, the policy has meant that some of Britain's poorest families have not seen their income rise in four years despite rising costs.

(Image: Dan Kitwood)

Figures earlier this year showed a series of benefit freezes and caps since the Tories took power in 2010 have cost families £888 to £1,845 per year.

On Sunday Ms Rudd told the Andrew Marr Show that she “would expect that to happen whatever situation because it needs to happen”.

She added: “I’ve already had conversations with the Chancellor and I would expect to do so with any future government.

"It is essential we take that freeze off.

“It is not for me to guarantee, I am not the Chancellor, but I will certainly guarantee that I will be making a very strong case for it whatever role I may or may not be playing.”

The Resolution Foundation has warned that continuing benefits freeze next year would leave low-income households more than £200 a year worse off.

Single parents could be as much as £260 poorer.

The think tank said scrapping the freeze would lift 200,000 families out of poverty.