Household energy bills set to hit £4,266 next year

2 mins read

Tuesday 9 August 2022

Tags: universal credit, energy bills, cost of living, energy cap

Our comment on today’s headlines about household energy bills hitting £4,266 next year

Amanda Batten, CEO at Contact, says: “Families with disabled children are already paying almost double that of an average UK household on their energy bills. Cutting back is not an option for those needing to run life-saving equipment like ventilators, food pumps and hoists.

“Families tell us that the government’s cost of living payments announced in May now feel like just a drop in the ocean as prices continue to soar. Contact is worried that any gains from the cost of living payments could be wiped out instantly if a family with a disabled child has to claim Universal Credit, which could mean a cut of more than £1,800 per year.

“Every day, Contact’s helpline hears from increasingly desperate families trying to manage their household bills and prepare for the next energy price hike. We can help some families increase their income by nearly £100 per week with a call to our one-of-a-kind family finance service. 

“But urgent action from government is needed, such as introducing a Disabled Child Energy Assistance payment to help towards the extra costs of running life-saving equipment and to increase the disabled child addition under Universal Credit to give families some long-term security.”