Energy announcement response from national poverty charity

Michael Clarke, Head of Information Programmes at national poverty charity, Turn2us comments:

“We welcome any measures by the Prime Minister to address the financial burden of soaring energy bills over the coming months. It is vital that these policies are implemented as soon as possible to ensure people can keep the lights on and feed their families this winter. However, this the package of support is still just a sticking plaster, especially for those of us who are on the lowest incomes. Around 6.5 million people are in fuel poverty and the energy cap is still set to rise by a further £500 under these proposals[1]. Far too many people came into this year already unable to afford the basic necessities of energy, food and housing due to extortionate price hikes. And this package isn’t going to pull people out of the financial insecurity this crisis pushed them into. A lack of additional targeted support for people on benefits through an uplift is a missed opportunity to ensure people have sufficient money in their pockets to afford to live with dignity.

“More must be done in the long-term to reform our economy and to stop the growing inequalities in our society. This needs to include restoring the safety net of a social security system that enables people to have enough money to live on with dignity, as well as coming up with a more sustainable and equitable solution to the energy price hikes. We need certainty from our government that all of us will be able to keep warm, fed and with a roof over our heads and not be reliant on one-off acts of generosity.”

[1] Source - https://www.nea.org.uk/energy-crisis/fuel-poverty-statistics-explainer/