Sunak press announcement tonight

Here's some info:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1052320/Energy_Intervention_factsheet.pdf

Whitewavemark2

What they should be doing is pursuing renewables like mad.

If they had done so we would not be so reliant on gas and at Putins mercy.

We are not reliant on Russia for gas
www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-less-than-1-per-cent-uk-gas-supplies-come-from-russia

Thanks Growstuff. Will await with interest to see what the Scottish Government will give us.

It looks like this has all been worked out on a fag packet and a couple of drip mats during a long night at the pub. It’s convoluted and unfair, and is going to prove a costly nightmare to administer.

Surely it’s not beyond the wit of our leaders to target whatever support is available straight at those on the lowest incomes, who are suffering so much hardship?

Lincslass

Whitewavemark2

What they should be doing is pursuing renewables like mad.

If they had done so we would not be so reliant on gas and at Putins mercy.

We are not reliant on Russia for gas
www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-less-than-1-per-cent-uk-gas-supplies-come-from-russia

Thanks for posting that Lincslass. The UK won't run short of gas, but I guess the issue is that global prices have responded to market forces caused mainly by Russia.

Maggiemaybe

It looks like this has all been worked out on a fag packet and a couple of drip mats during a long night at the pub. It’s convoluted and unfair, and is going to prove a costly nightmare to administer.

Surely it’s not beyond the wit of our leaders to target whatever support is available straight at those on the lowest incomes, who are suffering so much hardship?

It seems like local councils are being set up to be the fall guys. They've had their funding cut over the last decade and this won't compensate.

Councils already have very little remaining after they have fulfilled statutory obligations. Hence the closure of libraries and support services. They are being turned into administrative bodies for sorting out what the government allows them to spend, which makes a nonsense of local democracy.

growstuff

Maggiemaybe

It looks like this has all been worked out on a fag packet and a couple of drip mats during a long night at the pub. It’s convoluted and unfair, and is going to prove a costly nightmare to administer.

Surely it’s not beyond the wit of our leaders to target whatever support is available straight at those on the lowest incomes, who are suffering so much hardship?

It seems like local councils are being set up to be the fall guys. They've had their funding cut over the last decade and this won't compensate.

Councils already have very little remaining after they have fulfilled statutory obligations. Hence the closure of libraries and support services. They are being turned into administrative bodies for sorting out what the government allows them to spend, which makes a nonsense of local democracy.

Exactly

France has capped energy bill rises at 4%. In the UK,
@RishiSunak
has green lit a 54% price hike.

The living standards crisis is the price the Tories are making the public to pay to fuel a boomtime for a tiny handful of energy corporation shareholders.

I believe some of the oil companies have had record profits but are not being asked to help .

@Whitwavemark2

^So the loans to energy companies will in theory take £200 frame everyone’s bill.

Those on prepayment meters - the least well off - will increase the most by 54%.

The government has already reduced the poorest income by taking away the £20 U/c, as well as the NI rise in April. Inflation went up by 5.4%.

The money the government is pouring into the massive energy suppliers, it is ridiculous.

That vast quantity should be put into home heating payments and other channels for the very poorest.

Another suggestion is council tax rebates for those in band A-C.^

Apparently, even if you don't want or need the £200 energy 'loan', there's no way of opting out of it.

If you're living at home with family or are in rented accommodation where your rent includes utilities, you personally aren't going to get this loan (your parents/landlord are getting it) but if at some point in the next 5yrs you move and become responsible for paying your own utilities, you'll be paying the £40/yr loan repayments without receiving the loan in the first place - this IMO is totally unfair, why should someone have to pay back a loan they've never received?

Those on UC haven't lost £20/wk, it was given to them on a 'temporary basis', it was never implied that it would be a permanent thing.

The 'poorest' who received it weren't necessarily the poorest, those of us on other DWP benefits that haven't yet been migrated over to UC didn't get that £20/wk and there is currently a case in court which is trying to argue that we (especially the disabled) should have received it too. Why should the disabled have to go to court to get treated fairly?

Sunak and Martin Lewis said last night that inflation is running at over 7%, so why are DWP benefits only increasing by 3.1% in April? I know Sunak said we all need to accept that belts will be a little tighter this year but when one is reliant on those benefits which don't give any wriggle room in one's weekly budget in the first place, how on earth are we meant to tighten our belts even further? My gas and electricity payments already eat up over 15% of my benefits (before the April increase).

Sunak said that the Warm Homes Discount will increase to £150 (currently £140) for next winter... wow! It needs to double not just add £10.

Regarding the council tax discount of £150, for those of us on the aforementioned benefits, our council tax is paid direct to the council as part of these benefits, so we won't see a penny of this discount, it'll be just a bit less that the DWP will have to pay us.

In actual fact, my 3.1% benefit increase due in April is approx £5/wk, then if you subtract the money the DWP will be saving on my council tax (a little under £3/wk), they'll only be paying an increase of approx 1.9%.

He's trying to be the next prime minister I don't trust him an inch we need someone who isn't a millionaire in that position

The small print is that the £200 is a loan - the Govt. is gambling on wholesale costs going down future prices will be loaded for customers to repay in the coming years

Apparently this 'loan' is compulsory as are the repayments.

katy1950

He's trying to be the next prime minister I don't trust him an inch we need someone who isn't a millionaire in that position

I agree. Heaven forbid he is the next PM.

Mum is 92, and talking about switching her heating off and spending evenings in bed! What on earth is this Country coming to? Our energy supply should never have been privatised.

katy1950

He's trying to be the next prime minister I don't trust him an inch we need someone who isn't a millionaire in that position

That could be a difficult one usually if someone is in the position to run for PM they probably have a few bob Keir Starmer is worth 7.7m apparently.

Sunak's offer on energy bills is inadequate and badly targeted - it makes a mockery of looking after those in poverty.

Aaron Bell MP (Newcastle-under-Lyne) has submitted his letter to Mr. Brady.

I do hope that those who are desperate to see Mr. Johnson gone are happy with his replacement.

I know quite a number of people who live in property band D who have bigger incomes from pensions etc than I do. I live in band E. Only place I could find that wasn't a magnet for rowdy youths. Beginning to think the Poll Tax had something.

GrannyGravy13

Aaron Bell MP (Newcastle-under-Lyne) has submitted his letter to Mr. Brady.

I do hope that those who are desperate to see Mr. Johnson gone are happy with his replacement.

It doesn't really matter if we're happy or not, GG13.

Whoever replaces him will be dominated by the far right, small state, low regulation arm of the parliamentary party, as they hold the key to the tory parliamentary majority. Any attempt to return to a more consensual, democratic way of governing would split the tory party and cause them to lose power. Which alternative do you think a new tory PM would prefer?

For myself, I'd just be happy to see Johnson dragged out of 10 Downing Street and cast into the oblivion he deserves.

Until we have a GE we're not going to be able to replace the current government with anything better.

GrannyGravy13

Aaron Bell MP (Newcastle-under-Lyne) has submitted his letter to Mr. Brady.

I do hope that those who are desperate to see Mr. Johnson gone are happy with his replacement.

So do I. I’m dreading tbh. None of those with integrity trustworthiness and intelligence are likely to voted in. In fact most have left.

It was much easier when the utilities were nationalised.

I know Sunak said we all need to accept that belts will be a little tighter this year

He may have said that, Harmonypuss, but why should belts be a little tighter?

Of course, we know that Sunak's won't need to be tightened; neither will the belts of those who have made small fortunes during the pandemic, such as those claiming business loans fraudulently, or those who supplied unusable PPE through the government's VIP channel...

Bijou

It was much easier when the utilities were nationalised.

Of course it was Bijou. We didn't have to factor in huge director's salaries and profits paid out in dividends to shareholders.

I agree the majority of MPs will be millionaires. With the high price of property there are a lot of millionaires around