Some potential relief in spring budget - but vulnerable people must not be forgotten

There was some financial relief for struggling households, but we also have concerns that vulnerable people have once again been left behind.

They still face an incredibly difficult time and while these are steps in the right direction, we must continue lobbying for everyone to have safety and security, no matter how vulnerable they are. Here’s what was said in the Spring Budget…

Energy bills

We were glad to see more support towards expensive energy bills. They are a big concern for people we work with – often, people are having to choose between eating, heating and paying rent.

The government has been limiting energy bills for a typical household to £2,500 a year. This scheme will continue until July. In addition, people on prepayment meters – who are charged at a higher rate – will begin paying the same rate as direct debit customers once July begins.

The government hopes that by July, the price of energy will have dropped enough that the help it’s providing is no longer needed. We hope this is the case – struggling households will need more security if bills don’t come down by July.

Universal Credit

We work with many people who are relying on benefits to survive. Many are in low-paid work and need to top up their wages, others have ended up in a situation where it’s their sole means of income.

Proposals to end the work capability assessment – a test used to decide who is entitled to higher levels of Universal Credit payments – are welcome and long overdue. They could allow more people with disabilities to get back into work without risking the loss of benefits which are helping them to stay afloat during difficult times.

If changes are made to the work capability assessment, people who are out of work due to ill health but ineligible for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) must also be helped.

Worryingly, the government also announced more rigorous sanctions for people it deems well enough to work but who remain unemployed. We know that the sanctions system already disadvantages many vulnerable people.

Universal Support

A new scheme – Universal Support – to help people who are disabled or in ill health get into employment was announced. For it to work we also need to have the systems in place to ensure that people can get and remain well enough to work. NHS and local councils must have enough funding to provide services tailored to the needs of local people

Housing benefits

Depressingly, nothing was said about Local Housing Allowance rates. They are used to calculate housing benefit and have been frozen since 2020 despite rents and the general cost of living continuing to rise. This is an area drastically in need of change otherwise people will continue having to top up their rent from money meant for food and heat

Childcare

We welcome plans to expand free childcare for children aged 9 months up until they start school. The cost of childcare puts a big strain on many of the families we work with and this will ease some of the financial and emotional pressures they are facing.

Funding for charities

The government plans to provide an extra £100 million funding to voluntary sector organisations who work with vulnerable people. This can only be a good thing. As the cost of living crisis has intensified, more and more people have been turning to organisations like Porchlight for help. But charities are stretched and being hit by funding cuts – they can only do so much. More funding could put extra support in place for people who have nowhere else to turn for help.

What next?

For now, this is all we know of the new government plans. We’ll be keeping an eye out for details of these new policies and shall continue acting as a voice for the people they will hopefully benefit.