Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will provide immediate additional funding to support people who are unable to pay for (a) energy, (b) food and (c) other essential items.

The Government recognises the challenges facing households due to elevated costs of living, so has taken further action at Autumn Statement 2023 to support vulnerable households. From 1 April 2024, the National Living Wage will increase by 9.8% for 2.7 million low paid workers. Local Housing Allowance rates will rise to the 30th percentile of local market rents in April 2024 for 1.6 million households. The Government will also uprate all working age benefits in full by September 2023 CPI of 6.7%, benefitting 5.5 million households in 2024-25.

This brings the total support over 2022-2025 to help households with the high cost of living to £104 billion – an average of £3,700 per UK household.