Eight million households on means-tested benefits will receive their final cost of living payment to help with high food and energy bills from Tuesday.
The government has no current plans to extend the scheme, but charities have urged it to announce fresh support.
While the inflation rate has eased considerably from double digits, it rose unexpectedly to 4% in December in the first increase for 10 months, and the cost of household gas and electricity remains high, as a result of an energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022.
Historically high energy bills, unaffordable housing and other spiralling costs are keeping people in crisis.
In November, a report by the cross-party Commons work and pensions committee concluded that the cost of living payments, while welcome, had not been sufficient to address the scale of the problem and offered only a “short-term reprieve” for many people struggling with high inflation and bills.
Commenting on the final payment to be paid out from Tuesday, Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, said: “The economy has turned a corner, and with inflation falling we are providing millions of the most vulnerable households with another significant cash boost.”
The original article contains 388 words, the summary contains 199 words. Saved 49%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Eight million households on means-tested benefits will receive their final cost of living payment to help with high food and energy bills from Tuesday.
The government has no current plans to extend the scheme, but charities have urged it to announce fresh support.
While the inflation rate has eased considerably from double digits, it rose unexpectedly to 4% in December in the first increase for 10 months, and the cost of household gas and electricity remains high, as a result of an energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022.
Historically high energy bills, unaffordable housing and other spiralling costs are keeping people in crisis.
In November, a report by the cross-party Commons work and pensions committee concluded that the cost of living payments, while welcome, had not been sufficient to address the scale of the problem and offered only a “short-term reprieve” for many people struggling with high inflation and bills.
Commenting on the final payment to be paid out from Tuesday, Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, said: “The economy has turned a corner, and with inflation falling we are providing millions of the most vulnerable households with another significant cash boost.”
The original article contains 388 words, the summary contains 199 words. Saved 49%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!