Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has plans to increase financial support for patients using large volumes of electricity for medical equipment to treat health conditions at home.

Living with a long-term illness or disability can impact significantly on the cost of living. This is why the Government invests heavily in supporting disabled people who are both in and out of work through the welfare system.

The Government is helping people with the rising cost of energy bills by providing financial support worth £550 to most households. Households with a domestic electricity meter will receive a universal rebate of £400 through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. In addition to this, English households living in Council Tax Bands A-D are receiving a £150 rebate. None of this has to be repaid.

The Government is providing further support for vulnerable households, through the Warm Home Discount of £150 for up to 3m people, and the continuation of Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments.

The Government is also offering an automatic one-off £150 disability cost of living payment to individuals in receipt of non-means tested disability benefits, paid by September.

The Government continues to support vulnerable groups through NHS services. The additional funding announced at the Spending Review, made possible by the new Health and Social Care Levy, means that the NHS resource budget will increase to over £160 billion in 2024-25. These investments will allow the NHS to continue providing the services people need.