Rishi Sunak to unveil bumper package TODAY to help hard-up Brits with soaring energy bills – everything you need know
RISHI Sunak will today unveil a bumper package to help Brits with soaring energy bills.
The Chancellor will slap a new windfall tax on oil and energy giants to help bankroll a multibillion-pound package of support.
No10 and No11 are understood to have ruled out a tax cut or Trump-style cheques in the post — for now.
It comes as energy bills are due to rocket by £800 to £2,800 a year this October.
He will scrap plans for a “rebate and clawback scheme”, which would have given people a £200 discount on their bills from October.
Mr Sunak will instead convert the effective loans – which would have been paid back in heftier bills later – into grants given to energy companies to dish out.
Read more on the windfall tax
He will be giving a statement in the House of Commons at 12.30 today.
The Times reports the value of the discount could be increased to as much as £400, with no need to pay the sum back.
The plans, which could set the Government back £10billion, will form part of a “mix and match” package with a series of measures to help the most vulnerable cope with soaring energy bills as well as inflation.
Ministers are not expected to increase the warm homes discount or cut VAT — despite calls by Tory MPs.
Some of the windfall tax is expected to go to nuclear power and windfarms to boost supplies.
The Chancellor will say helping the poorest is his “number one priority”.
But he will warn the nation he cannot protect them entirely from rocketing bills.
Ministers have been considering cutting council tax bills — beyond the £150 rebate for bands A to D already announced — and increasing benefits.
However they have ruled out restoring the £20 universal credit uplift amid concerns that any increase will become permanent.
A Treasury spokeswoman said: “We understand people are struggling with rising prices, which is why we’ve provided £22billion support to date.
“The Chancellor was clear that as the situation evolves, so will our response, with the most vulnerable being his number one priority.”
A source close to the PM last night said the measures were not a “one-trick pony” and that No10 would continue to look at help for families.
Read More on The Sun
Earlier this year, ministers announced funds to knock up to £350 off energy bills.
But with heartbreaking stories emerging of parents facing the choice of eating or heating and inflation set to bust ten per cent, they faced calls from Tories to do more.