Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a fall in household disposable income of 7 per cent on levels of food poverty; and what additional steps he is taking to support households with rising costs of living.

HM Treasury does not prepare formal forecasts for household income or the outlook for the UK economy, which are the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

The government has announced further support for next year designed to target the most vulnerable households. This cost of living support is worth £26 billion in 2023-24, in addition to benefits uprating, which is worth £11 billion to working age households and people with disabilities.

This action taken by the government means that over 8 million of the most vulnerable households across the UK will continue to be supported through next winter via additional Cost of Living Payments. And the government is continuing to provide support to all households through the Energy Price Guarantee, which will save the average UK household £500 in 2023-24.

This support for 2023-24 is in addition to the generous support already in place to support households this winter. In addition to the Energy Price Guarantee, the government has announced £37 billion of support for the cost of living in 2022-23.