Last week, Mims Davies, Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression, wrote to all Members of Parliament about the extra cost of living support that the Government is continuing to provide alongside its extension to the Household Support Fund.
As the Government understands the pressures that people are facing it is taking further action to provide support for those most in need in the coming months and the Prime Minister has committed to cut the headline rate of inflation in half by the end of the year.
Further cost of living payments will be made in 2023/24, including: up to £900 delivered in three payments to those on eligible means-tested benefits; a £150 payment will be given to those on eligible disability benefits and £300 will top up existing Winter Fuel Payments for pensioner households. Benefits and pensions will also increase by 10.1% in April and the Minimum Wage will rise to an unprecedented figure of £10.42 an hour.
The Energy Price Guarantee is also continuing to protect customers from increases in energy costs and from April 2023 until the end of March 2024, a typical household bill will be around £3,000 per year in England.
The Government is also providing an additional £1 billion of funding to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England in the next financial year. This is in addition to what it has already provided since October 2021, bringing total expenditure to £2.5 billion.
In England, the Household Support Fund, backed by £842 million, will run from 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024, enabling Local Authorities to help households with the cost of essentials. Constituents in need of support should contact B&NES who will be able to help them access the local support available to them in the coming months.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance: [email protected].
