Lack of help for poorest households in government 'mini-budget'

Households on the lowest incomes are being hit hardest by inflation. Tax cuts will do little to help them and they'll continue to struggle.

Meanwhile, Local Housing Allowance rates – which are used to calculate housing benefit – remain frozen as rents and the general cost of living continues to rise.

Those who need help the most will remain trapped in poverty. The government says it has a 'levelling up' agenda but this budget will only widen inequality between the richest and poorest in society.

Public services that should be providing a safety net to vulnerable people desperately need additional funding. Plans for a national insurance hike – which could provide much-needed funding – are being scrapped. It may mean a little more money for the average household, but reduced services will have a devastating impact on those who need them.

Ultimately, the measures announced will do nothing to ease the crisis for the poorest people in the UK, with many falling below the poverty line as a result.