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The benefits freeze will end in full under a Labour government, John McDonnell said tonight.

The Shadow Chancellor insisted rates will be uprated in line with inflation - and his "intention" is for it to happen on day one of a Labour government.

Mr McDonnell spoke out in an apparent clarification, hours after he said the party was "considering" whether to take the move.

Cruel Tories have frozen benefit rates for four years to slash £3.9billion a year from the welfare bill by 2019/20.

During last year's election campaign there was confusion over Labour's policy when Jeremy Corbyn said the party would not freeze benefits – but stopped short of saying rates would be "uprated" in line with inflation.

Campaigners say there is an important distinction and want politicians to commit specifically to "uprating", rather than just changing the system.

(Image: Blend Images)

Later, after the general election, Mr Corbyn did say: "We will lift the freeze on social security."

Asked directly this morning if Labour would "reverse the freeze", Mr McDonnell told the BBC: "Well we’re considering that as part of our review now.

"The election was only last year. When that new election comes we will have a new manifesto. That’s one of the areas we’re now looking at."

His comments led to questions on social media about Labour's policy.

But quizzed by the Mirror tonight, Mr McDonnell insisted: "We’re saying we’re uprating."

And he claimed: "We’ve said that all the way along."

Asked directly if Labour will uprate benefits annually in line with inflation he said: "Yes, that’s what we’ve said. Jeremy’s already made that statement before, that we’re lifting."

He added there would be a "new system" for benefits under Labour, which is currently running a review of the complex and controversial regime.

(Image: Jeff J Mitchell)

"What we’ve said on UC is first of all call upon the government to halt, then there’s emergency measures that they could put in place to help actually people at the moment," he said.

"Then when we go into government - we’re doing a whole review at the moment - when we go into government we’re saying we want a system which is based upon real living wage, collective bargaining, trade union rights etc.

"That will lift people out of poverty wages."

Told there was a difference between putting in a fully new system and uprating annual benefit rates, Mr McDonnell replied: "We’re saying we’re uprating. We’ve said that all the way along."

Asked if that would start on day one or year one of a Labour government, he said: "That’s the intention, yes."

Mr McDonnell's latest comments confirm those by Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Margaret Greenwood last month.

She told the Mirror: “We would end the benefits freeze, and that would mean uprating in line with inflation every year.”