Tory ministers will snatch millions of pounds from their own constituents if Jeremy Hunt goes ahead with a threatened raid on Universal Credit.

The Chancellor wants to slash the amounts given to ordinary families to pay for tax cuts for the rich.

According to official data, Cabinet ministers have more than 125,000 Universal Credit claimants in their constituencies. An analysis by The Mirror shows together they stand to miss out on a whopping £23.7million if Mr Hunt decides to fiddle the figures to save money in the Autumn Statement on Wednesday.

Universal Credit payments are due to increase next April by 6.7%, the inflation figure from this September. But to free up cash to pay for bungs for the rich, the Chancellor is thinking about using the lower inflation figure from October, which was 4.6%. This would mean that low income families would lose hundreds of pounds each.

Labour’s Rachel Reeves has called on Mr Hunt not to lower the planned rise.

Most recent data from May shows there were 3,800 Universal Credit claimants in the Chancellor’s South West Surrey constituency, receiving an estimated £37.8million annually. They would stand to miss out on £756,000 next year if he uses the lower inflation figure, which works out at an average of £199 each.

However, he would be the least affected Cabinet minister with his colleagues seeing a much bigger impact in their constituencies. Environment Secretary Steve Barclay has 9,100 claimants in his North East Cambridgeshire seat who together would lose £1.6million.

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt has 7,800 claimants in Portsmouth North who would be £1.5million worse off, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has 7,600 claimants in Welwyn Hatfield who face a £1.5million hit, and Deputy PM Oliver Dowden has 6,800 claimants in Hertsmere who also stand to lose £1.5million.

Targeting families on Universal Credit will likely make it even more difficult for Tory ministers to cling on to their seats. Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has a majority of just 981 in Cheltenham, compared to 6,300 UC claimants in his area.

Mr Hunt wants to reduce spending on benefits so that he can cut taxes. One of the ideas under consideration is a reduction in either income tax or national insurance. Other suggestions include slashing inheritance tax, even though the levy is only paid by the richest 4%. Couples are able to hand up to £1million to their children without paying the duty.

As he appeared on the Sunday morning political programmes, the Chancellor said he wanted to bring down the tax burden, which has risen to a 70 year high under this Conservative Government. But he declined to say which taxes will be reduced, insisting: "Everything is on the table.” Speaking to Times Radio, Mr Hunt said: "I want to show people there's a path to lower taxes. But we also want to be honest with people. This is not going to happen overnight.”

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Sarah Olney said: “This out-of-touch Government has proven time and again that it doesn’t care about those struggling the most with the cost-of-living crisis. If ministers have any decency, they’ll keep their promise to their constituents and steer clear of a cruel cut to support for hard-pressed families.”

Chris Stephens, the SNP MP for Glasgow South, said: “We already have the meanest social security system in Europe and this manoeuvre will plunge the least well off into even worse poverty. It’s a move that would make the Chancellor a modern day Sheriff of Nottingham robbing the poor to give to the rich.”

Ms Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor, told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg: "If you pick and choose from year to year which inflation number is the cheapest thing to do, then what you see is the gradual erosion of people's incomes."

How much money could Universal Credit claimants miss out on?

Cabinet ministers

Rishi Sunak (PM), Richmond (Yorks): 5,000 UC claims, £868,800 worse off (Average loss: £174)

Oliver Dowden (Deputy PM), Hertsmere: 6,800 UC claims, £1,507,200 worse off (Average loss: £222)

Jeremy Hunt (Chancellor), South West Surrey: 3,800 UC claims, £756,000 worse off (Average loss: £199)

James Cleverly (Home Secretary), Braintree: 6,200 UC claims, £1,192,800 worse off (Average loss: £192)

Grant Shapps (Defence Secretary), Welwyn Hatfield: 7,600 UC claims, £1,538,400 worse off (Average loss: £202)

Alex Chalk (Justice Secretary), Cheltenham: 6,300 UC claims, £1,128,000 worse off (Average loss: £179)

Michelle Donelan (Science Secretary), Chippenham: 5,700 UC claims, £1,072,800 worse off (Average loss: £188)

Michael Gove (Levelling Up Secretary), Surrey Heath: 4,500 UC claims, £895,200 worse off (Average loss: £199)

Victoria Atkins (Health Secretary), Louth and Horncastle: 6,700 UC claims, £1,190,400 worse off (Average loss: £178)

Penny Mordaunt (Commons Leader), Portsmouth North: 7,800 UC claims, £1,461,600 worse off (Average loss: £187)

Kemi Badenoch (Business Secretary), Saffron Walden: 4,800 UC claims, £1,008,000 worse off (Average loss: £210)

Claire Coutinho (Energy Secretary), East Surrey: 5,500 UC claims, £1,176,000 worse off (Average loss: £214)

Steve Barclay (Environment Secretary), North East Cambridgeshire: 9,100 UC claims, £1,596,000 worse off (Average loss: £175)

Mel Stride (Work and Pensions Secretary), Central Devon: 4,600 UC claims, £861,600 worse off (Average loss: £187)

Gillian Keegan (Education Secretary), Chichester: 6,200 UC claims, £1,238,400 worse off (Average loss: £200)

Mark Harper (Transport Secretary), Forest of Dean: 5,200 UC claims, £972,000 worse off (Average loss: £187)

Lucy Frazer (Culture Secretary), South East Cambridgeshire: 5,200 UC claims, £1,003,200 worse off (Average loss: £193)

Richard Holden (Tory Chairman), North West Durham: 7,500 UC claims, £1,257,600 worse off (Average loss: £168)

Chris Heaton-Harris (Northern Ireland Secretary), Daventry: 5,500 UC claims, £1,010,400 worse off (Average loss: £184)

Alister Jack (Scottish Secretary), Dumfries and Galloway: 7,100 UC claims, £1,233,600 worse off (Average loss: £174)

David TC Davies (Welsh Secretary), Monmouth: 4,300 UC claims, £746,400 worse off (Average loss: £174)

Total: 125,400 UC claims, £23,714,400 worse off

Attends Cabinet

Simon Hart (Chief Whip), Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire: 5,100 UC claims, £880,800 worse off (Average loss: £173)

Laura Trott (Chief Secretary to the Treasury), Sevenoaks: 4,200 UC claims, £880,800 worse off (Average loss: £210)

Victoria Prentis (Attorney General), Banbury: 7,700 UC claims, £1,512,000 worse off (Average loss: £196)

John Glen (Paymaster General), Salisbury: 5,800 UC claims, £1,099,200 worse off (Average loss: £190)

Esther McVey (Minister without Portfolio), Tatton: 3,600 UC claims, £672,000 worse off (Average loss: £187)

Robert Jenrick (Immigration Minister), Newark: 6,100 UC claims, £1,036,800 worse off (Average loss: £170)

Tom Tugendhat (Security Minister), Tonbridge and Malling: 4,900 UC claims, £1,017,600 worse off (Average loss: £208)

Andrew Mitchell (Development Minister), Sutton Coldfield: 4,100 UC claims, £698,400 worse off (Average loss: £170)

Johnny Mercer (Veterans Minister), Plymouth, Moor View: 8,500 UC claims, £1,617,600 worse off (Average loss: £190)

*Estimates based on latest data from May 2023.