The Government has confirmed plans to offer extra help to families who are struggling with the cost of living.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said that they will be working hard to support people, reports Liverpool Echo. This was announced as part of the Government’s plan for long-term growth.
People have been asking about when the next payments to help with the cost of living will be. But there were no plans for any more cash in the Spring Budget statement or its other documents.
Instead, the Chancellor has decided to keep the DWP’s Household Support Fund going for another six months. This is one of a few ways they’re trying to help people who are still finding it hard.
But some people who campaign for disability rights aren’t happy because there won’t be any more one-off payments for the next financial year.
The DWP is also planning to bring in strict new rules for people claiming Universal Credit while looking for work.
The Spring Budget documents say: “In response to the energy crisis, the Government has shown that it’s committed to helping the most vulnerable by providing one of the biggest support packages in Europe. The total support in 2022-23 and 2023-24 to help households with the cost of living is £94 billion an average of £3,300 per UK household.”
“At Autumn Statement 2023, the Government announced benefits uprating and further cost of living support for 2024-25, building on the substantial package of support already provided since 2021. Working age benefits will be uprated by September 2023 CPI of 6.7 percent from April 2024.”
They continued: “This is 3.6 percentage points higher than forecast earnings for 2024-25 and will help support the most vulnerable whilst inflation continues to fall. As a result, 5.5 million households on Universal Credit will gain £470 on average in 2024-25.”
“The Government is continuing to provide targeted support for the most vulnerable as inflation continues to fall. To help households with the cost of essentials such as food and utilities, the Government is providing an additional £500million to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England from April to September 2024.”
The announcement continued: “Despite the overall improved living standards picture, certain groups will continue to experience pressure on their living standards. In this context, the Government is taking further steps at the Spring Budget to support the most vulnerable whilst ensuring that decisions are fiscally sustainable.”
Since July 2023, the Government has removed the premium paid by over four million households using prepayment meters (PPMs) bringing their charges into line with comparable direct debit customers and saving them around £25, via the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG).
However, Svetlana Kotova, director of campaigns and justice at Inclusion London, described the Spring Budget as “another missed opportunity to support disabled people” and said the six-month extension to the Household Support Fund was not enough.
She urged the DWP and local authorities to ensure a greater proportion of households with disabled members can get help from the fund.
She told Disability News Service: “The cost of living crisis continues, and we are disappointed there were no announcements for further payments and nothing to support disabled people with high energy needs. Instead, the budget reconfirms plans for tougher sanctions for disabled people who get benefits, including those who work.”
Paula Peters, from Disabled People Against Cuts, added: “The Government failed to renew the cost of living payments when the cost of living is still high, high food prices, high energy costs and council tax across the UK has risen again.
“Renewing the Household Support Fund for another six months is not enough. With local authorities setting tough criteria to access the support, many are turned away.”
In the past two years, there have been several one-off cost of living payments. These included £650 in 2022-2023, paid in two instalments to those on means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit, and another £900 paid in three instalments to the same group of households in 2023-2024.
Meanwhile, those on disability benefits received £150 each year and pensioners were given up to £300 on top of their Winter Fuel Payment.
