Worries over government's cost of living payment is 'not enough'

East Yorkshire citizens advice Bureau says the government’s payment to help people with the cost of living crisis wont cut it.

Around 722 thousand families in Yorkshire and the Humber are eligible to receive the £650.

Over 8 million households will be the first of two payment’s today.

The Initial automatic instalment for means-tested benefit claimants will be £326, with the rest to follow in a second instalment from the autumn.

Andy Coish is from Hull and East Yorkshire Citizen’s Advice Bureau, he said:

“A lot of people that are on universal credit use pre-payment meters which are even more expensive and become even more difficult if there’s debt on the meter. So even though it seems like a big figure, it seems like it already might be too little.

“We are seeing more people coming to us for basic charitable assistance and energy debt advice so any money is already going to make a big short term difference.”

Work and Pensions Secretary, Thérèse Coffey said:

With millions of the lowest-income households soon seeing the first of two cash instalments land into their bank accounts, we are taking action to directly help families with the cost of living.

This one-off payment totalling £650 is part of our £37 billion cost of living support package that will put an extra £1,200 into the pockets of those most in need.