Lower cost of living states

By Kevin Peachey Published 1 hour ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Support to help people deal with soaring energy bills this winter has been outlined by the chancellor, Rishi Sunak. The measures are a mix of broad help and specific payments to those on lower incomes. All UK households to get an energy bill discount All UK households will get a grant which will reduce energy bills by £400 from October. Previously, the chancellor had said £200 would be knocked off everyone's energy bills, but would have to be paid back in instalments over five years. Now, the discount has been doubled to £400 and he has cancelled the requirement to repay. In other words, from October, everyone's energy bill will be reduced by £400. In technical terms. it will apply directly for households in England, Scotland, and Wales. The equivalent funds should be given to … [Read more...] about Cost of living: What Rishi Sunak’s help means for you

SIR – My wife and I have a friend who is a widow in her 80s. Recently we found her in a distressed state. She said that her gas bill, normally about £30 per month, had gone up to £170. She does not bank online and her bank has recently closed its branch in the nearest town four miles away. She tried phoning her supplier, British Gas, only to be told by an automated voice on each attempt that the wait time was “more than an hour”. So distressed has she become that she has had to visit her GP, who suggested that she was suffering from anxiety brought on by the situation with her gas supply. She is now taking anti-anxiety medicine and has managed to get her bill altered. I can only say that this is a disgraceful way to deal with any customer. David J Hartshorn SIR – Gillian Courage (Letters, May 5) writes of her energy supplier’s grab for more money. The same applies to our long-term supplier, Ovo Energy. On Wednesday we received two emails, one complaining about a lack of … [Read more...] about Letters: An automated voice is no comfort to a widow faced with soaring gas bills

The U.S. economy shrank in the first three months of the year even though consumers and businesses kept spending at a solid pace, the government reported Thursday in a slight downgrade of its previous estimate for the January-March quarter. Last quarter's drop in the U.S. gross domestic product — the broadest gauge of economic output — does not likely signal the start of a recession. The contraction was caused, in part, by a wider trade gap: The nation spent more on imports than other countries did on U.S. exports. Also contributing to the weakness was a slower restocking of goods in stores and warehouses, which had built up their inventories in the previous quarter for the 2021 holiday shopping season. Analysts say the economy has likely resumed growing in the current April-June quarter. The Commerce Department estimated that the economy contracted at a 1.5% annual pace from January through March, a slight downward revision from its first estimate of 1.4%, which it … [Read more...] about US economy shrank by 1.5% in Q1 but consumers kept spending

Families will still face enormous challenges in making ends meet, despite the support package unveiled to combat the cost-of-living crisis, according to money experts. Charities also said Chancellor Rishi Sunak is “kidding himself” if he believes the problem is temporary, as calls were made for longer term changes to the social security system. The Chancellor’s package of targeted Government support unveiled on Thursday includes a £650 payment to more than eight million low-income households on Universal Credit, Tax Credits, Pension Credit and legacy benefits, with separate one-off payments of £300 to pensioner households and £150 to people receiving disability benefits. These groups are among the most vulnerable to rising prices. Households will also receive a £400 discount on their energy bills from October. Recommended What Rishi Sunak announced to tackle the cost of living crisis More Tory MPs withdraw support from PM over ‘shameful’ … [Read more...] about Families ‘will still face enormous challenges in making ends meet’

Rishi Sunak, a devotee of Nigel Lawson, believes in a smaller state, curbing borrowing, lower taxes and combating inflation. Yet again, he delivered a major fiscal announcement where he did the opposite. Today's £15bn spending splurge expanded the role of the state with the advent of one-off financial transfers, could stoke inflation, add to borrowing, and contains a multibillion-pound tax rise. One day he will be able to give the budget he wants; though maybe not while Boris Johnson is prime minister. Today's targeted, progressive package left the opposition Labour Party and think tanks that worry about the low paid cheering. Advertisement Almost inevitably, it divided Tory MPs. Most were happy it delivered palliative care for voters facing unprecedented squeeze - Mr Sunak did get gratitude for reaching into his pocketbook once more. But some immediately worried it amounts to "socialism" while others fear Mr Sunak is at risk of permanently higher … [Read more...] about Why Rishi Sunak’s dream budget may be forever out of sight so long as Boris Johnson’s PM