The SNP has called for “less talk and more action” from the UK Tory government over the cost of living crisis.
It comes after Defence Minister James Heappey admitted on BBC Question Time that the UK government needs to do “a lot more” to help those feeling the pinch from rising prices and falling wages.
The Resolution Foundation has warned that 2022 will be the ‘year of the squeeze’ amid a perfect storm of Tory cuts, tax hikes, rising energy bills and inflation, and falling wages.
StepChange Debt Charity has revealed that one in three – 15 million people – in the UK are already finding it hard to keep up with bills – a figure that has doubled since the beginning of the pandemic.
This is before energy bills are set to rise in April.
The SNP’s Depute Westminster Leader, Kirsten Oswald MP (pictured), has reiterated her party’s calls for emergency package of support for families to help them through the crisis, including the introduction of a low-income energy payment, matching the Scottish Child Payment across the UK, reversing the £20 a week cut to Universal Credit, and the adoption of the Real Living Wage of £9.90 an hour.
Commenting Kirsten Oswald MP said:
“It’s about time a UK Minister woke up to the reality of this Tory-made cost-of-living crisis – but it’s not enough to just acknowledge that people are feeling the squeeze, we need less talk and more action from the Westminster government, which holds the key powers to make a difference.
“People have been feeling the pinch for far too long as a result of a perfect storm of Tory cuts, record levels of inflation, rising energy bills and falling wages, its time for the UK government to set things right by reversing their callous cuts and introducing emergency measures to support struggling families.
“As a matter of urgency, we need to see a low-income energy payment, a matching of the Scottish Child Payment, a reversal of the £20 a week cut to Universal Credit and the introduction of the Real Living Wage of £9.90 an hour.
“It’s only a matter of time before households take a further hammering with Tory tax hikes and rising energy bills.
“A worrying amount of families say they are afraid of their bills rising by more than they can afford.
“The UK already has the worst levels of poverty and inequality in northwest Europe – unless all Tories wake up to the crisis and take serious action it will get much worse.”
