Email the Prime Minister about the cost of living crisis

Write to the Prime Minister now to ask for more support for those in crisis due to the rising cost of living.

10 million people are already struggling with the rising cost of living. Without urgent intervention this is only going to get worse.

The energy price guarantee has been a welcome step, but as bills will still be almost double what they were a year ago, more action is needed to keep people safe and warm this winter. It is vital that the Government uprates benefits so that they keep pace with rising costs.

Please write to the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and ask him to provide much needed extra support to low income households throughout the cost of living crisis. We want to see:

- A commitment now to uprating benefits in 2023 in line with inflation, ideally brought forward to before the winter when people will need it most.
- A ban on energy companies forcibly switching customers to prepayment meters over winter.
- Further targeted support for low income households.

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Dear Prime Minister, 
Congratulations on your appointment as Prime Minister. At a time where 10 million people are already struggling financially because of rising cost of living, a compassionate approach to helping the most vulnerable could not be more needed. 
During your time as Chancellor you acted decisively and swiftly to put in place cost of living payments, and I also welcome the energy price guarantee put in place by Liz Truss’ government. However, more action is needed now to help people stay afloat this winter. 
Households are enduring a further rise of £529 on their annual bills from October, and even at £2,500 for the typical household, energy bills are double what they were last winter. I’m particularly concerned about the lack of reassurance that benefits at the very least will be uprated in line with September CPI inflation rates in April 2023 as your pledge during your time as Chancellor.
Many households will need to pay far higher bills to stay safe and warm this winter due to family size and health needs. Energy bills are just one part of the pressure felt - with rent, fuel and food prices all still contributing to high inflation rates.
It’s vital that low income households are supported through the full extent of the cost of living crisis. Christians Against Poverty’s (CAP) recent polling found that already 8.5 million people are skipping meals because of rising costs.
As one client from CAP has said:
“I’m really frightened about the gas bill coming now. When winter comes everything is going up – that will be the end of us. I think a lot of people will be freezing to death because you’re choosing between food and heating.”
Families are being driven to borrow more just to pay for the things they need to survive, with 6.9 million families now behind on household bills and 22.2 million having borrowed money to cope with rising costs. Rates of indebtedness are growing. CAP witnessed a rise of over 40% in calls to their UK helpline in the first five months of 2022, compared to last year. Severity of debt is deepening, with average rates of priority debt amongst CAP clients having risen to £6,000.
Alongside the energy price guarantee, I appeal to you to provide a further targeted package of support that will focus on those households on the lowest incomes who are already in crisis and problem debt due to months of rising costs. I ask that you will act to put in place:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">At the very least, commit now to uprating benefits in April 2023 in line with September 2022 CPI inflation rates, with a corresponding increase in the benefit cap level and Local Housing Allowance.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ideally, increase Local Housing Allowance and uprate benefits ahead of Winter 2023 to reflect the inflation rate faced by low income households across all the essentials they need.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A winter ban on energy companies forcibly switching customers to prepayment meters, including via smart meters, and a moratorium on court action to collect energy debts.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Further targeted financial support for low income households which takes into account actual energy bills due to family size and need, including for those not in receipt of means-tested benefits.  </li>
</ol>
These measures would help to support low income households with the true costs of rising bills and to meet their essential needs both over the winter and beyond.
I’m grateful for your attention on this important matter.
 
Figures taken from Christians Against Poverty’s (CAP) YouGov polling, a nationally representative sample of 2,270 people, August 2022.

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Email the Prime Minister about the cost of living crisis

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