Economies around the world are facing high inflation driven by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and we know how much these rising prices hurt families and businesses in Redditch, the Villages and across the country.
We delivered on our promise to halve inflation by the end of 2023 – which is the number one thing we can do to support people with the cost of living – and we are taking action to protect families by providing £3,700 on average per household to help with higher costs.
I know my constituents are worried right now and are facing challenging times, and as your MP I will always do everything I can to help. This section of my website sets out the help the Government has made available to families in Redditch.
Local Councils
There is support available from our local councils who are responsible for helping to help distribute the support the Government has put in place to help my constituents with the rising cost of living.
Government Help for Households
The Government has put in a place a support package to help with cost of living pressures worth over £37 billion.
Household Costs: Find out about support for household costs
Help with Energy Bills: Find out how to get help with your bills
Help with Childcare Costs: Find out about help with childcare costs
Income Support: Find out what benefits and financial support you may be able to get
Help with Transport Costs: Find help with transport costs
Help Finding Work: Get help looking for jobs
The Government is also helping families with the cost of living by:
- Delivering on our promise to halve inflation by the end of 2023, easing the burden on households across the country. We met our target to halve inflation last year. We are continuing to support households with our £104 billion cost of living package worth £3,700 on average per household.
- Delivering new cost of living support, helping vulnerable households with increased costs during the winter months. Eight million households are benefitting from cost of living payments worth £900 in 2023-24; Winter Fuel Payments have been increased by £300; nearly three million people will receive a £150 rebate on their winter electricity bills through the Warm Home Discount; Local Housing Allowance is being uprated and the £25 Cold Weather Payment has come into effect for the winter.
- Cutting taxes to reward work. From April 1st 2024, National Insurance contributions will be cut to 8%. Taken together with the cut to National Insurance announced last year, the Conservative Government has delivered a tax cut worth a total of £900 a year for a worker on the average salary of £35,400.
- Boosting the Local Housing Allowance, helping those on low incomes. From April 1st 2024, the Local Housing Allowance will increase to cover the lower 30% of local rents. This uprating meaning 1.6 million families will on average be £800 better off in 2024-25.
- Protecting the Triple Lock on the State Pension. Pensioners are also set to benefit as the state pension increases by £900 on April 1st 2024 following the Government’s commitment to the triple lock. This will boost the incomes of 15,723 pensioners in Redditch and the Villages.
- Uprating benefits in line with inflation, protecting the most vulnerable households. Working age benefits will increase by 6.7 per cent this year and housing benefit will increase to protect the vulnerable. The average uplift for households on Universal Credit will be around £470.
- Extending the Household Support Fund. We have extended the Household Support Fund for a further six months until September 2024, as we continue to provide targeted support to vulnerable households with the cost of essentials such as food and utilities, as inflation continues to fall.
- Rolling out the largest ever expansion of childcare in England’s history, with eligible working parents of two-year-olds able to access 15 hours of free childcare per week. From April 1st 2024, eligible working parents will now be able to access 15 hours of free childcare per week – benefitting over 100,000 more children.
- Delivering a record boost to the National Living Wage. The NLW has increased on April 1st 2024 to £11.44, an increase of 9.8% for those on the lowest pay, equivalent to an annual pay boost of £1,800, or £150 a month.
- Increasing the threshold for the High-Income Child Benefit Charge, taking 170,000 families out of paying the charge altogether. From 6 April, we are raising the threshold for the High Income Child Benefit Charge from £50,000 to £60,000 as well as halving the rate so that it is not paid in full until you earn over £80,000. This is estimated to support half a million families with an average gain of up to £1,260 towards the costs of raising their children.
- Protecting families from energy price rises, keeping energy bills low. From April 1st 2024, the energy price cap on consumer energy bills take effect following announcement by the regulator Ofgem. The cap for a typical household drops 12.3% from £1,928 per year to £1,690, the lowest level since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 which sent prices soaring.