JUST SAW THIS AND THOUGHT I WOULD LET YOU ALL KNOW.............
Every household in the UK is to get an energy bill discount of £400 this October as part of a package of new measures to tackle soaring prices.
The poorest households will also get a payment of £650 to help with the cost of living, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said.
It follows warnings that millions could be left struggling if energy prices rise again in October as expected.
Mr Sunak said he had offered "significant support" for households who were facing "acute distress".
The package of new measures, worth £15bn in total, will also offer more targeted help to pensioners and the disabled.
The cost will be partly offset by 25% windfall tax on oil and gas firms' profits, which have soared in recent months.
Earlier this week, UK energy regulator Ofgem said the typical household energy bill was set to rise by £800 in October, bringing it to £2,800 a year. Bills had already risen by £700 on average in April.
Households will still face rises in bills even with the further government support.
Hit hard'
Mr Sunak blamed the war in Ukraine, recent lockdowns in China and the post-pandemic recovery for the surging prices. But he said the situation had "evolved and become more serious" pushing the government to act.
Under the new measures, the government will scrap a plan to give everyone in England, Scotland and Wales £200 off bills from October which would be repaid over five years.
Instead, that sum will be doubled to £400 and will not need to be paid back. Direct debit and credit customers will have the money credited to their accounts, while customers with pre-payment meters will have the money applied to their meter or paid via a voucher.
While the £400 discount should be UK wide, the lack of an Executive at Stormont in Northern Ireland means people there must wait before they find out when will they receive the discount.
The measures add to around £17bn of support already given by the government, including one-off £150 council tax rebates for most homes in England and Wales.
Mr Sunak said the government had "a collective responsibility to help those who are paying the highest price for the high inflation we face."
The chancellor also announced:
Eight million households on means-tested benefits will get £650 paid directly into their bank accounts in two lump sums - one in July, the other this autumn
There will be separate one-off payments of £300 to pensioner households and £150 to individuals receiving disability benefits - groups who are "most vulnerable to rising prices"
The emergency Household Support Fund, which is allocated by councils in England, will be extended by £500m to £1.5bn. The devolved governments will receive equivalent funding.
@nabob @Pinkaholic79 💖🦄🌺 @Janet 💋🍰🍝🍹 @harryflatters @Tanith @roz @Flossy 🍰🍰🍰 @Flotson @renatew5😺🐶 @andym.aat @Paul - MenCanCleanToo @Rustyfrog @homebaker etc etc
The way I see it, what's happening at the moment, it's all out to scare us, make us panic, worry, ppl will suffer and whatever. Then all of a sudden like a magic wand, everything will fall in to place, like magic, thanks to the "new" PM. My view could be totally wrong, but for now I like to think that way.