Rishi Sunak visits B&Q Watford to talk cost of living crisis

The Chancellor announced that every household will get a £400 energy bill discount under an emergency cost-of-living package that will be partly funded by a £5 billion windfall tax on oil and gas giants.

Other measures include a one-off £650 payment to more than eight million low-income households on benefits, a £300 payment to pensioner households in November / December alongside the winter fuel payment and £150 to individuals receiving disability benefits.

Rishi Sunak at B&Q Watford. Credit: Crown Copyright

He later appeared at B&Q Watford on Thursday (March 26) where he talked to broadcasters about the plan.

Mr Sunak said: “I know things are difficult and people are worried about the next few months.

“That is why we’ve announced today £15 billion of new support to help with the cost of living, with a third of all households, the most vulnerable, receiving up to £1,200 of help.

“There is also support for everyone, because we promised we would stand by the British people. And today, that is what we’ve done.”

Yesterday I met staff and customers at Treasury Connect @BandQ Watford to discuss how our new £15bn cost of living support package will help families.

Today we've launched a new website where you can find all the support available in one place: https://t.co/gSPUx9RqXU pic.twitter.com/D3BgZBbNEZ

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) May 27, 2022

He said the announcement amounted to “significant support targeted at the most vulnerable households in particular”.

But the Chancellor said there was funding for “everyone” because “we know these are difficult times”.

Mr Sunak added: “We said we would stand by the British people. That’s a promise we made and we’re delivering on that today.”

Watford MP Dean Russell said that the measures announced will "help eevery household".

During the same day, BBC political editor Chris Mason stopped by at The LP Café in The Parade to ask how businesses are coping during the crisis.

Leila Simpson. Credit: BBC News

When asked whether they will survive, owner Lelia Simpson said: “The magic question, ever an optimist I’m going to say yes, absolutely.

“We faced Brexit, we faced the pandemic and now this unimaginable inflation.

“It’s asking to just revaluate our business almost constantly at the moment.”

During the news segment, she added: “If I break my leg, thank you for the crutch, but we need the surgery we need to get that bone fixed and that’s an announcement I would like to hear.”