· As the UK economy continues its recovery from the pandemic, the Government have stepped in to confront the global inflationary pressures caused by the world economy coming swiftly back to life.
· With Ofgem announcing a £700 rise to the Energy Price Cap, the Government have confirmed a three-part plan to help with household fuel bills immediately – worth £350 per household, in a total package of support worth £9.1 billion.
· This Government support will ensure the adjustment to higher prices is smaller and spread over a longer period – supporting households along the way.
Henry Smith MP has welcomed the plans from the Government which will mean 40,022 households across Crawley are set to be supported with a £150 non-repayable cash rebate.
This is just part of the support put in place, with plans worth up to £350 per household across Crawley in total, as part of the £9.1 billion package of Government support to help with rising energy bills.
Henry said;
“Global pressures have led to households across Crawley feeling a squeeze on their household costs, so it’s right that the Government have come forward with this support.
“These measures will help more than 40,000 households in Crawley with council tax bills, as well as a £200 rebate on energy bills for all households, on top of pre-existing measures to support families, such as the Warm Home Discount scheme.
“This will deliver support to more people and at a faster pace – giving families the support they need now.”
As the economy continues its recovery from the pandemic, the Government are confronting global inflationary pressures.
Although there are limited levers the Government has to deal with these global problems, it has already taken steps to support families. These measures include reducing the Universal Credit taper rate, increasing the National Living Wage, freezing fuel duty for the twelfth year in a row, and launching a £500 million Household Support Fund to help the lowest-income households with their bills.
Following Ofgem’s confirmation that the energy price cap will rise by £700 from April, the Government have announced this three-part plan to help with household fuel bills immediately and protect people against half of this increase.
Support includes:
· A £200 ‘smoothing’ rebate on energy bills for all households, to be paid back over the next five years at £40 per year – starting from April 2023.
· A non-repayable £150 cash rebate for homes in council tax bands A to D – equivalent to 80 per cent of all households, helping both lower and middle-income families.
· £144 million of discretionary funding for local authorities to support households not eligible for the council tax rebate.
Measures also include continuing with plans to increase the Warm Homes Discount and extending eligibility by one third to 3 million vulnerable households, worth £150.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, commented;
“Right now, I know the number one issue on people’s minds is the rising cost of living.
“That’s why the Government is stepping in with direct support that will help around 28 million households with their rising energy costs over the next year.
“We stood behind British people and businesses throughout the pandemic and it’s right we continue to do that as our economy recovers in the months ahead.”
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