Cost of Living Support

I know how difficult the last few years have been with the rising cost of living after the pandemic and Putin's barbaric invasion of Ukraine caused significant price rises.

I have backed the Conservative Government's £104 billion in support since 2022 to help people, including paying half of people's energy bills on average. The Conservatives will continue to take action to grow our economy and support those on the lowest incomes.

Rebecca Harris

 

Benefits and Taxes:

  • Cut National Insurance by one-third from 12% in January to 8% since April, a tax cut of £900 per year for someone on the average salary. Self-employed National Insurance levels have also been cut from 9% to 6%.
  • Raised the personal tax-free allowance to £12,570. This has risen significantly since 2010 and the value of the Personal Allowance is 30% higher in real terms and £3,000 higher than it would have been because of Conservative action to increase it further and faster, rather than just to raise it with inflation.
  • We have the lowest personal taxation in the G7 for single earners on average salaries.
  • Boosted the National Living Wage to two-thirds of median incomes – all over 21s now receive £11.44 per hour – a 9.8% rise. More than halving the number of low paid jobs and 25% increase in take home pay since 2010.
  • Average weekly earnings have risen by almost 50% since 2010 to £661 per week.
  • Benefits increased across the board by 6.7% in April 2024, including Universal Credit. Raised the childcare element of Universal Credit by almost 50%.
  • Increased the Local Housing Allowance to the 30th percentile of local market rates, worth £800 on average.
  • Protected over 14 million jobs with £98 billion support through the furlough scheme and Self Employed Income Support Scheme.
  • Continually extended the Household Support Fund, providing local authorities with over £3 billion to support those most in need within local communities.
  • No increase in the main fuel duty rate since January 2011 and cut five pence off fuel duty in March 2022, saving the average car driver over £1,000.

 

Cost of Living:

  • £104 billion in support from 2022-2025. Included series of Cost of Living Payments for those on means-tested benefits and with disabilities.
  • Government introduced the Energy Bills Support Scheme for 2022/23 taking £400 off bills and introduced the Energy Price Guarantee capping average households energy bills at £2,500. This saw the Government pay half of people’s energy bills on average.

 

Supporting Children:

  • Providing over £200 million a year for the continuation of the Holiday Activities and Food programme - for children from reception to year 11 who receive benefits-related free school meals, providing free activities in school holidays.
  • All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 in England’s state-funded schools receive a free meal under the universal infant free school meals policy. Free school meals have been extended to more groups of children than under any other Government over the past half a century.
  • Wraparound Support - Investing £289 million to meet the ambition for all parents of primary school children who need it to be able to access childcare in their local area from 8am to 6pm, with every parent who needs it able to access term-time wraparound childcare by September 2026.
  • Delivering the National Youth Guarantee which states that by 2025 every young person should have access to out of school activities through the Duke of Edinburgh and NCS Schemes and with opportunities of nights away from home. The Government has also committed to 300 new youth service facilities across the country and organisations have been able to apply for funding through the Youth Investment Fund.

 

Record Free Childcare Expansion:

  • Record childcare expansion - From April 2024, eligible working parents of 2-year-olds can access 15 hours childcare support. From September 2024, 15 hours childcare support will be extended to eligible working parents of children from the age of 9 months to 3-year-olds. From September 2025, eligible working parents of children from 9 months to school age will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare a week.
  • This is set to save working families using the full 30 funded hours up to £6,900 per year from when their child is nine months until they are five years old by September next year.
  • Raised the threshold for the High-Income Child Benefit Charge from £50,000 to £60,000 and increased the taper rate to £80,000 – an average gain of £1,260 to the cost of raising a child. Committed to doubling this so the Charge is introduced after earning £120,000.

 

Conservative Party Manifesto 2024:

  • Manifesto confirms the £2 bus fare cap will be extended for the next five years.
  • Manifesto confirms employee National Insurance will be cut by another 2% to 6% by April 2027 – a tax cut worth £1,350 - and self-employed National Insurance will be abolished altogether by April 2029.

 

A vote for any other party cannot deliver anything apart from a Keir Starmer-led Labour Government that risks this progress and means thousands of pounds in higher taxes and higher energy bills. It is only the Conservative Party that can deliver real change for the country.