Charlotte Atkins

THE cost of living crisis has just got worse with Staffordshire and Stokeon-trent councils putting their council tax up by an additional 2.99 per cent.

Part of that increase is for a one per cent levy for social care. That means we will be levied twice for social care as the National Insurance Levy of

1.25 per cent, to pay for the NHS and social care, will be imposed in April this year.

People might understandably think that these levies, along with the Government’s Social Care White Paper published in December, have resolved our social care problems.

But nothing could be further from the truth – they do not fix the chronic staffing shortages, the fragility of the care market with care homes going out of business and will load additional costs onto councils with no guarantee of sufficient extra Government funding.

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a £150 rebate on council tax bills for all households in Bands A to D.

But this is not targeted at those most in need, lumping together those who have no problem paying their bills with those to whom £150 will do little to help them meet the unprecedented £700 energy price hike.

With inflation predicted to rise by 7 per cent, while benefits are only going up by 3 percent, this leaves a huge 4 per cent gap.

That makes it impossible for many families to meet rising food, transport as well as heating costs.

Part of the Chancellor’s package of support during this cost of living crisis is a £200 cash discount on energy bills in the autumn.

But this all has to be paid back over the next five years. That takes no account of individual circumstances and is a risky gamble on energy prices falling in future.

Age Concern is reporting that people are already too worried to turn on their heating, oven and hot water. This could have a devastating impact on the health of the older population, disabled people and those living in poorly insulated old housing stock.

What makes it worse is that many are not claiming the benefits to which they are entitled.

For instance, nearly two out of five pensioners are entitled to Pension Credit but are not receiving it - losing out on an average of £32 a week. Billions of £s go unclaimed every year.

If in any doubt, it is worth checking out your entitlement with your local Citizens Advice Bureau. They are still available to give advice, despite suffering huge, damaging cuts to their funding from councils, like Staffordshire County Council.

CABS do not receive any Government support despite being the go to agency for financial help, with a proven record of bringing additional income to families and communities.

We are facing the worst cost of living crisis for 30 years. But the shocking advice from the Bank of England boss, Andrew Bailey, is that workers should help curb inflation by refraining from making wage demands.

That might be fine if you earn over £575,000 as he does, more than 18 times the UK average for a full time employee. But two thirds of workers already expect their pay to go up less than the cost of living in 2022.

TUC General Secretary, Frances O’ Grady, said that, because of inflation, earnings are now lower in real terms than in 2008, ranking the last 13 years as the longest drag on living standards in more than 200 years!

Mr Bailey should turn his attention instead to the energy giants, BP and Shell, which have announced record billion pound profits on the back of rocketing energy prices.

He should support the Labour Party’s call for a one off windfall tax on those unjustified profits so that low paid workers, who are on the front line during the pandemic, do not have to choose between heating and eating. Energy price hikes are causing inflation, not wages.