As we continue our recovery from the effects of Covid-19 and the consequences of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, it is right that families throughout the UK continue to be supported through difficult times.
Support from the Government includes the new Energy Price Guarantee which aims to keep bills as low as possible and offers certainty on energy prices.
By keeping household energy bills as low as possible the Guarantee saves the typical household £700 this winter. This is being done by limiting the amount people can be charged per unit of gas or electricity until April 2023, while establishing long-term measures to support families.
The Energy Bills Support Scheme is being delivered nationally. This initiative sees £400 paid in six monthly instalments, starting from last month.
In total, Government is delivering a £37 billion package of cost of living support, helping people in our community and our country in the months ahead.
The most vulnerable households in the country will also continue to receive the already-announced £1,200 of support, provided in instalments over the year:
- £650 Cost of Living Payment for households on means-tested benefits, supporting over eight million of the most vulnerable households. The second of the two instalments started being paid last week, with over 14,000 families in Crawley set to benefit.
- £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment for every pensioner household in receipt of Winter Fuel Payment, supporting some eight million pensioner households.
- £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment for those in receipt of disability benefits, supporting nearly six million people who receive disability benefits.
- The Household Support Fund has been boosted to £1.5 billion, providing local councils with even greater resources to help the most vulnerable.
- The £150 Council Tax Rebate has been delivered, supporting eligible households with rising energy costs.
The Warm Home Discount is being extended to March 2026, rising to £150 and reaching an additional 750,000 households.
Cold Weather Payments of £25 a week are being provided to vulnerable households in exceptionally cold weather: almost four million people are eligible for these payments.
It is right that people get to keep more of their own money which is why it is important that National Insurance contributions have been cut, saving more than 27 million people an average of £330 in 2023-24.
A typical worker will keep £135 more of their own money this year: the National Insurance cut is effective from 6th November 2022.
The threshold where workers start paying National Insurance has also been increased, so no National Insurance is paid on the first £12,576 of earnings.
Increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 an hour meant an extra £1,000 a year for over two million full-time workers this year.
Henry Smith MP
