Carers: Energy

(asked on 24th January 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department is putting in place to support carers with the increases in heating and energy costs.


Answered by
Chloe Smith Portrait
Chloe Smith
This question was answered on 1st February 2022

We value the key role that unpaid carers play in supporting disabled and elderly people. We support them through access to the full range of social security benefits depending on their circumstances.

This Government is wholly committed to supporting people on lower incomes through a range of measures, including by spending over £110 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22.

We understand the pressures people are facing with the cost of living, and we will continue to listen to people’s concerns as we have done throughout the pandemic. We’re providing support worth around £12bn this financial year and next to help families with the cost of living, cutting the Universal Credit taper to make sure work pays, freezing fuel duties to keep costs down, and providing targeted support to help households with their energy bills.

We recognise that some people require extra support over the winter, which is why vulnerable households across the country can access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the Scottish government receiving £41 million, which they have used to create a Winter Support Fund to help people on low incomes this winter.

Significant social security powers are devolved to the Scottish Government if they wish to use them. These include the power to top up reserved benefits, make discretionary payments or introduce new benefits in areas of devolved responsibility.

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