Labour hope to inflict another Commons defeat on the Government when MPs debate Universal Credit on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered Conservative MPs to abstain on motions proposed by opposition parties, making it likely a Labour motion criticising the roll-out of the new benefit system will be passed.

Labour will use the same Parliamentary procedure that was used to force the Government to hand over 58 Brexit impact papers, to bring about a binding vote demanding the publication of internal reports on the embattled Universal Credit programme.

The reports, known as ‘Project Assessment Reviews’, are detailed assessments of the implementation of Universal Credit, which has come under criticism for driving debt, arrears and even evictions.

Labour believes they may contain further information justifying the party’s call on the Government to pause and fix the programme.

Debbie Abrahams MP, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said: " These reports could further expose the implementation flaws, design failures and the impacts of major cuts to Universal Credit, which is pushing people into poverty, debt and arrears.

"Labour has long called for a pause and fix of this programme, but the Chancellor failed to act in the Budget, meaning thousands of families will face a miserable Christmas."

The debate comes as the Tories are accused of presiding over an increase in poverty, with a new report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation warning that almost 400,000 more children and 300,000 more pensioners are living in poverty than four years ago, with little progress in reducing poverty among working age adults.

Its state of the nation report said poverty rates increased last year, leaving 14 million people living in poverty, including four million children and 1.9 million pensioners.

New threats are emerging to the poorest households, including rising housing costs, higher food and energy bills, debts and not being able to contribute to a pension, said the social research group.

And former MP Alan Milburn claimed the Government was failing to make progress towards building a “fairer Britain” when he resigned as head of the Social Mobility Commission.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said the UK is at a “turning point” with poverty figures set to rise, and urged the Government to end the four-year freeze on working age benefits and tax credits and to invest in a more ambitious housebuilding programme to provide genuinely affordable homes to rent and buy.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of the JRF, said: “Political choices, wage stagnation and economic uncertainty mean that hundreds of thousands more people are now struggling to make ends meet. This is a very real warning sign that our hard-fought progress is in peril.

“Action to tackle child and pensioner poverty has provided millions of families with better living standards and financial security.

“Record employment is not leading to lower poverty, changes to benefits and tax credits are reducing incomes and crippling costs are squeezing budgets to breaking point.

“The Budget offered little to ease the strain and put low income households’ finances on a firmer footing.

“As we prepare to leave the EU, we have to make sure that our country and our economy works for everyone and doesn’t leave even more people behind.”

A Government spokesman said: “We are spending an extra £4.2 billion on pensioners, carers and disabled people next year, and continue to spend around £90 billion a year supporting people of working age, including those who are out of work or on a low income.

“Since 2010, the number of people in absolute poverty has fallen by over half a million, pensioner poverty remains close to historically low levels and we are supporting parents with the cost of bringing up children by doubling free childcare.

“We have given the lowest earners a significant pay rise through the National Living Wage, and are introducing Universal Credit to make sure it pays to be in work.”