Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he is taking steps to provide financial support to women's refuges in Newport West constituency with the cost (a) food, (b) fuel and (c) energy.

This year the government has announced the Energy Price Guarantee, to support household with their energy bills over the winter, and a further £37 billion of support for the cost of living. Next year, vulnerable households in Great Britain will see their benefit payments rise by 10.1% from April 2023.

When people face higher bills in winter, when usage is higher, additional Cost of Living Payments will be made available across the UK in autumn 2023-24 to over 8 million of the most vulnerable households. The government is also providing another £1 billion funding to enable an extension to the Household Support Fund over 2023-24, which will continue to support English Local Authorities in delivering local welfare to vulnerable households.

The UK Government has provided significant support this year to help non-domestic consumers across the UK, including public sector organisations and voluntary sector organisations, such as women’s refuges, with rising energy costs through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS).

Through the EBRS, the government will provide a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023 to provide them with the certainty they need to plan through the acute crisis this winter.

An HMT-led review of the scheme will determine support beyond 31 March 2023. Results of the review will be published by the end of this year, with further support to be targeted at those most affected.