Comment on the UK Government energy bills support scheme

Statement from OPFS

Commenting on the UK Government announcement today by the Chancellor of a support package to help with rising energy costs, One Parent Families Scotland CEO, Satwat Rehman said:

“In recent months, our helpline has been swamped with calls from single parents reaching breaking point because of the rise in energy costs. Many parents have been telling us they are not eating much so they can feed their children, one parent saying she has been eating toast for the past two weeks. The rise in the cost of living has had a huge impact on the mental health and wellbeing of so many single parent households.

“We welcome the long-overdue announcement today of measures to reduce the impact of rising energy costs on households. The one-off payments to the lowest income households are a good start, but will only provide a sticking plaster to what is an ongoing problem. To provide long term relief to single parent households choosing between heating and putting food on the table, we need social security measures that lift these households out of poverty.”