Our Research and Campaigns team have been looking at the impact of cost of living increases on our clients and as well as advising many people on their options, we're gathering evidence of how this affects them and what changes or further support are needed. We will continue to do this and in conjunction with Eastbourne Foodbank, are beginning a report on certain aspects which we hope to publish soon.
At the end of May we had a video meeting with local MP Caroline Ansell and were joined by members of the national team who provided information gathered from a survey of Eastbourne residents. We discussed the types of support the government should provided to minimize the impact of the increasing prices of fuel and other daily living expenses.
The next day the Chancellor announced a package of measures which will provide financial support for millions of households. This is obviously welcome but, as we did with previous schemes, we will continue to monitor the effectiveness of this and feed back the areas which are not reached to make sure those most in need are not at risk of being excluded. For example - people who live in HMOs or similar who pay for gas and electricity but don't have a bill in their name are unlikely to receive the benefit of £400 which will be paid towards those costs. How can we make sure they are receiving the help they need.