Cost of Living Crisis Statement
November 18, 2022
We welcome measures in the Chancellor’s Autumn statement to support disabled people with additional cost of living pressures. However, while these measures go some way to recognising the impact that living with M.E. can have on a household’s expenses, we need to see the Government go further to address the disproportionate affect that living with a disability with fluctuating symptoms has on individuals and families across the country. We call on the Government to make the needs of people with M.E. a cross-departmental priority.
The Government’s plans to support households and the UK economy this Winter include additional cost of living payments for those with disabilities across the UK, with an additional £900 to households on means-tested benefits, £300 to pensioner households, and an additional £150 for individuals on disability benefits in 2023-24. With an additional commitment from the Chancellor to uprate working age and disability benefits with inflation, with an increase of 10.1%.
We know that the cost of living and energy price increases continues to be a major point of concern for people across the M.E. community and will be looking to work with the new cabinet to ensure that those affected can easily access the necessary benefits to ensure their financial stability this Winter.
Other measures that will be of interest to the M.E community include:
- The extension of the Household Support Fund to 31 March 2024. Local authorities will administer the funds and devolved administrations in their respective remits.
- The extension of the personal tax-free allowance level at £12,570 for further two years to April 2028.
- The increase of the Energy Price Cap Guarantee to £3,000 from April, with extra support for households on means-tested benefits.
- The commitment to increase adult social care grant funding by £1 billion next year, and £1.7 billion the year after.
- The increase of the National Living Wage to £10.42, from April 2023.
- The cap of social rent increases to a maximum of 7% in 2023-24.
The Autumn Statement can be read in full here.
