Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an estimate of the number of people who have had difficulty affording their bills between (a) September 2022 and August 2023 and (b) September 2021 and August 2022.

No such estimate has been made of the number of people who have had difficulty affording their bills between (a) September 2022 and August 2023 and (b) September 2021 and August 2022.

The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and is taking action to help. Overall, we are providing total support of over £94bn over 2022-23 and 2023-24 to help households and individuals with the rising cost of bills.