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After months of pressure, the Tories have finally offered some new help to people struggling under the benefit Universal Credit.

But there's a catch to the big U-turn, and Chancellor Philip Hammond made no mention of it in his 7,704-word Budget speech.

Of all the changes he announced, every single one will kick in too late to stop any families being hit this Christmas.

And that's despite months of pressure from charities and Labour, who repeatedly warned kids will go hungry on December 25.

In one intervention, MPs warned a foodbank in Birkenhead had called for 15 tonnes of food in anticipation.

As part of its announcement today, the government is finally cutting the waiting time for first payments under Universal Credit from six to five weeks.

(Image: Blend Images)

It is also expanding advance payments from a half-month’s pay to a full month’s, and allowing them to be repaid over 6 not 12 months.

Together the measures will cost £170m next year. But they are both far too late for Christmas.

The six-week wait is only being cut from February 2018, the Budget small print reveals.

And the changes to advance payments are only being made from January 2018.

Mr Hammond also trumped a new system to let housing benefit keep being paid for the first two weeks of a Universal Credit claim.

The idea was to stop people facing eviction, and it'll cost £180m next year.

Yet it only kicks in from April 2018.

(Image: PA)

Labour MP Maria Eagle fumed: "How very typical of this tin-eared Chancellor who is so out of touch that he thinks no-one is unemployed."

The Budget small print also revealed the rollout of Universal Credit has been delayed - again.

It is now expected to be in all Jobcentres by December 2018, not September 2018, thanks to a “more gradual” rollout from February to April.

The Treasury also reveals it plans to keep the “taper rate”, which affects how much benefit claimants are paid as they start earning money, under review.

It was previously cut, from 65p less benefit for every pound earned to 63p.

Jeremy Corbynslammed today's U-turns as simply not good enough.

He told the House of Commons: “Wouldn’t it have been better to pause the whole thing and look at the problems it has caused?”