Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department made of the potential merits of implementing a one-off energy support grant.

The Government recognises many households will need support to help deal with the rising cost of energy prices and is providing support worth £9.1bn in 2022-23 including:

o A £200 reduction in households’ energy bills this autumn, paid back automatically over the next 5 years, spreading the increased costs of global prices over time in a way that is more manageable for households.

o A £150 non-repayable cash rebate to 80% of households to help with rising costs now, delivered as a payment from government to Local Authorities, for implementation from this April via a payment to all households in Council Tax Bands A-D.

o £144 million of discretionary funding for Local Authorities to support households who need support but are not eligible for the Council Tax reduction.

We have consulted on expanding the Warm Home Discount by almost a third from 2.2m to 3m vulnerable households and increasing the rebate value to £150 each year.

This approach is fiscally responsible while also helping customers manage the unprecedented increase in energy bills by spreading the increased costs of global prices over time.

The Government is also providing £3bn over this Parliament to help more than half a million lower income homes become more energy efficient, saving them £290 per year on average, including through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Home Upgrade Grant.