Bid to alleviate cost of living crisis in city

Bath’s MP and the Metro Mayor say their new proposals would alleviate the cost of living crisis, rising energy bills and a realterms cut in state pension.

The Liberal Democrats have set out a “cost of living rescue plan” they say would save thousands of struggling families in Bath up to £1,000 this year.

Ofgem has recently announced a severe rise to people’s heating bills, with the energy price cap set to soar by 54 per cent to £1,971 in April.

It comes as analysis obtained by Metro Mayor Dan Norris, inset, claims that the basic state pension will be worth hundreds of pounds less in real terms over the next year, affecting 14,600 pensioners in Bath.

According to the statistics, a basic state pension will be worth roughly £222 less in real terms this year compared with last year. For a couple it will be worth around £355 less.

It is claimed this would be a realterms cut to the state pension that is more than the amount ministers are providing households to reduce their energy bills over the next year.

The motion to approve government changes to state pensions was passed earlier this month.

Energy bills for homeowners in Bath and North East Somerset are forecast to soar by an estimated £677 per household in April.

Meanwhile, broadband bills are set to rise by 9.3 per cent with inflation at its highest rate in almost 30 years.

Labour’s plan to reduce energy bills claims it would raise money to keep bills low through a one-off windfall tax on oil and gas profits to support all households, with households typically getting £200 off their bills.

Labour says its plan will get £600 to the lowest income households while the Conservatives would only give them £350.

Mr Norris said: “Unfortunately at a time when cost of living is soaring, petrol is 24 per cent more expensive, and prices are going up in the shops, Tory MPS have pushed through a real terms cuts to pensions and the support families rely on.

“With working people, families, and pensioners struggling to make ends meet, as well as rising child and pensioner poverty, the Conservatives have demonstrated that they are not on the side of working people or pensioners.”

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats claim that Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s proposals to deal with soaring energy bills will just be “spreading the pain over the coming years” while hitting local families with tax hikes.

The cost of living rescue package being proposed by local Liberal Democrats includes taking £300 off struggling families’ heating bills by doubling and expanding the Warm Home Discount, funded through a “Robin Hood” tax on the super profits of oil and gas companies.

“Energy bills are going through the roof, forcing families in our community to choose between eating and heating,” said Bath MP Wera Hobhouse. “But all the Conservatives are doing is clobbering people with an unfair tax hike and spreading the pain over the coming years.

“The Liberal Democrats’ cost of living rescue plan would wipe up to £1,000 off the bills of 31,522 struggling families in Bath, by scrapping April’s tax hike, offering support to the most vulnerable, and insulating homes to slash energy bills in the long term.”