Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that inflation on essential food items does not disproportionately impact low and middle income households.

Food prices in the UK are a function of a variety of factors including international agricultural commodity prices, the exchange rate and energy prices.

The government is committed to helping those in need due to the rising cost of living. An uplift to the Universal Credit Standard Allowance will see it rise to 5% above inflation by 2029-30. The government is also investing £1 billion a year (including Barnett impact) in a multi-year settlement for crisis support, which includes funding for councils to support some of the poorest households so that their children do not go hungry outside of term time.

From the start of the 2026 school year, the government will expand Free School Meals to all pupils with a parent receiving Universal Credit. This puts £500 back into these parents’ pockets every year. In addition, from the start of this academic term, 750 schools are receiving funding to deliver a free breakfast club as Early Adopters, reaching more than 180,000 children and 70,000 pupils from schools in the most deprived parts of the country.

The government’s top priority is to deliver strong, sustainable growth that raises living standards across the UK. A growing economy plays a key role in providing greater financial security for households and helping to make food more affordable.