Key facts
- Energy bills will remain higher this year than during the last energy shock, the Resolution Foundation said.
- The poorest half of households will receive an average gain of 158 pounds this year and next from cost-of-living support.
- The richest half of households will receive an average gain of 144 pounds this year and next from cost-of-living support.
- Measures to ease energy costs include scrapping standing charges on gas bills and a 100-pound payment for up to 20 million households.
- Typical disposable incomes are predicted to fall by 1,050 pounds by the end of the parliamentary term in 2028-29.
The Resolution Foundation has issued a critical assessment of the UK government's recent budget, warning that it will not shield Britons from rising energy bills. The thinktank stated that despite measures to ease household costs, energy bills will remain higher this year than during the previous energy shock. The budget's support for the cost of living was described as poorly targeted, with the richest half of households set to receive nearly as much financial benefit as the poorest half. The foundation predicted a significant fall in typical disposable incomes over the next five years.