Anyone else worried about the poor response by govt to energy prices hike?

[Graphista]

Awful response!

Very weird to link it to council tax. Very vague regarding the help for the poorest and most vulnerable

I've been trying to get through to various agencies and my council today with no luck presumably as everyone else doing the same!

Struggling to find clear info online. Especially as I'm in Scotland.

Would love to hear from anyone concerned but particularly would be good if experts in areas of budget and welfare advice could maybe provide some reassurance if they're willing and able.

Frankly I think some kind of helpline should have been setup ready to go to answer peoples queries.

This is huge and yet the govt don't really appear to be taking it that seriously imo.

This is devolved - so Scottish government will be responsible for deciding how money is distributed. Not sure they will go council tax route.

There's a shocking lack of info even for those in England

A council tax rebate is just a quick way of getting it to people. And they are assuming that lower paid people live in smaller (ie lower council band) houses. Not a bad assumption really, and does away with the prohibitive cost of setting up a means tested system.

It seems a bit premature to be calling the council today when it only got announced this afternoon....

And they are assuming that lower paid people live in smaller (ie lower council band) houses.

It's not just people in employment this is going to affect though.

@Sugarbellaella i just wanted to get a rough idea if they knew any more than was on the news especially as the only news I could find related to how it was being handled in England. Plus I had something else to discuss with them

They wont take it seriously because they are mainly, very wealthy so dont actually care. Interesting that they also passed a law about banks and their profits ( and less tax paid) rich get richer..

Fucking furious and they have no idea how it is going to work, they’ll pass the loans to the energy companies and rebates to local councils to work out. Councils must be freaking out bet there’s no guidance at all

What do you expect them to do we import the majority of it from other countries tires and are like other countries held hostage by Russia.

We have plenty of oil gas etc. To mean we don't need to rely on importing it. But Ed Milliband started the low carbon agenda and now we are fucked. We are hurtling towards trying to achieve net zero carbon emissions whilst 3 other countries in the world continue to pump out almost 30% of the worlds output in emissions.

So yes your now seeing the cost of achieving net carbon emissions. It'll only go up.

so dont actually care.

Of course they don't care. ANYONE who voted Tory who isn't wealthy thinking they did is nuts!

What do you expect them to do

GOVERN!

That means NOT screwing up the economy NOT treating the poor like scum!

Do we know what the CT increases are yet? I can see the increase eating up a decent chunk of the reduction.

@Dreamstate didn’t know Ed Miliband was in government and responsible for Tory policy making ….

[quote Languishingonthesidelines]@Dreamstate didn’t know Ed Miliband was in government and responsible for Tory policy making ….[/quote]
God so much ignorance. I cant even be bothered to explain it other than decisions made by previous parties still impact today regardless of whose in power today.

We don't need to import any energy when we have enough of our own except we don't use what we have cos of environmental policies put in place.

@Kezzie200

Do we know what the CT increases are yet? I can see the increase eating up a decent chunk of the reduction.

Yep, this was my first thought too. One hand giveth, the other taketh away... I think it's a piss poor situation and people like Rishi clearly couldn't give a fuck, nor do they have any idea how much of the country actually live/what this year will do to them.

www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-to-receive-350-boost-to-help-with-rising-energy-costs

Silly response that does not actually address the main issue: energy prices don't need to be that high for the consumer, as demonstrated by what is happening in France where their government intervened to keep prices down.

This government simply allows greedy energy companies to make ridiculously high profit unregulated...that is the problem.

Some half-baked loan scheme which is an insult to the public is not going to achieve anything until the UK stops allowing these corporate companies fat cats to line their pockets.

£350 to help...

£150 reduction in Council Tax which (as above) is due to go up this year - so the benefit is going to be around half of that, assuming a 4% rise and depending on how CT you pay to start with

PLUS

£200 loan which you have to pay back

But I guess "millions to receive £75 boost" is not such a great headline!

I think it goes something like this...
Chancellor announces a support scheme that is frankly insulting.
Bloody Stupid Johnson (© Terry Pratchett) cops the blame.
Bloody Stupid Johnson is kicked out.
Rishi Sunak takes over.
The taps are opened and he is the hero.

@Dreamstate

What do you expect them to do we import the majority of it from other countries tires and are like other countries held hostage by Russia.

We have plenty of oil gas etc. To mean we don't need to rely on importing it. But Ed Milliband started the low carbon agenda and now we are fucked. We are hurtling towards trying to achieve net zero carbon emissions whilst 3 other countries in the world continue to pump out almost 30% of the worlds output in emissions.

So yes your now seeing the cost of achieving net carbon emissions. It'll only go up.

This

decisions made by previous parties still impact today regardless of whose in power today.

That's a cop out and not the case here! This Tory govt have been in power for almost 12 years! They can't keep bleating that nonsense! They HAVE the power to do better they CHOOSE not to and indeed to make things a damn sight worse for many!

people like Rishi clearly couldn't give a fuck, nor do they have any idea how much of the country actually live/what this year will do to them.

Absolutely!

They're both fucking clueless and devoid of compassion

@SpunCypher3 what was the point of posting that link? It says nothing more than I knew when I started the thread

Zero proper definitive help for those on benefits not in work - that's mostly disabled people like myself

@ElectraBlue totally agree

@DuchessOfDodo those of us not in work don't pay council tax (here in Scotland we APPEAR to pay a small amount but that is our water bill as that's not privatised here)

So...what and how much is the help for those who don't pay council tax? Who are on prepay meters?

But I guess "millions to receive £75 boost" is not such a great headline!

Also true

*those of us not in work don't pay council tax (here in Scotland we APPEAR to pay a small amount but that is our water bill as that's not privatised here)

So...what and how much is the help for those who don't pay council tax? Who are on prepay meters?*

Absolutely right. I hope there will be help but I bet the answer ends up being 'sod all'

@DuchessOfDodo this is why I'm worried sick because we don't know! And what we do know is FAR from reassuring

Exactly - that’s why I hope they don’t go down the council tax route. Also, landlords might end up with multiple rebates and not pass on?

I think paying money to supplier might be possible, therefore everyone who pays a bill would get something towards a rebate, but then they will have no way to means test. Through benefits/state pension might be another angle to target poorest, but that would help me and I’m struggling to get to payday as is.

Sadly Martin Lewis seems to have confirmed the worst...

"Just to clarify in practice the £200 bill-credit 'loan' on all home elec bills in Oct.

• every bill will reduce by £200
• every bill after Apr 23 increases by £40/yr for 5yrs regardless of if you got the £200 or not.

Its a 1yr bill reduction followed by a 5yr compulsory levy."

"To all those asking "what about if you're fixed?", "what about prepay" or "can you opt out?"

My use of the word EVERY is not accidental. This is not optional. It applies automatically with no opt out to EVERY residential elec household in eng, scot, wales."

Fucks sake.

I looked up my councils fund it’s like old crisis loan but you don’t pay it back. You have to email with your story of why you need it and provide documents and bank statements. It’s not a simple as I’m on low wage give us £100 please. They then go through your story with any evidence and your bank statements not sure if that last 3 months then make a decision. I presume some of it will be questioning payments and expenses. If you have any they deem unsuitable the classic phone and Sky payments imagine will be turning you down and asking you to reduce spending. If you have a good enough story and havnt been over spending then maybe in with chance

@Graphista

decisions made by previous parties still impact today regardless of whose in power today.

That's a cop out and not the case here! This Tory govt have been in power for almost 12 years! They can't keep bleating that nonsense! They HAVE the power to do better they CHOOSE not to and indeed to make things a damn sight worse for many!

people like Rishi clearly couldn't give a fuck, nor do they have any idea how much of the country actually live/what this year will do to them.

Absolutely!

They're both fucking clueless and devoid of compassion

@SpunCypher3 what was the point of posting that link? It says nothing more than I knew when I started the thread

Zero proper definitive help for those on benefits not in work - that's mostly disabled people like myself

@ElectraBlue totally agree

@DuchessOfDodo those of us not in work don't pay council tax (here in Scotland we APPEAR to pay a small amount but that is our water bill as that's not privatised here)

So...what and how much is the help for those who don't pay council tax? Who are on prepay meters?

But I guess "millions to receive £75 boost" is not such a great headline!

Also true

Well plenty still love to blame Thatcher at every turn but that's okay though isn't it We should be building new nuclear power plants, fracking and using the resources we have in this country not importing it.

You keep blaming the government but everyone protesting against those has contributed to this situation.

If we didn't import so much and therefore leave ourselves exposed to being held hostage by other countries then we wouldn't be where we are. You don't see America suffering cos guess what they dont rely on importing energy or fuel.