Tackling the scourge of high inflation is key to restoring prosperity and addressing the effects of issues including Putin’s war against Ukraine and the aftermath of the pandemic.
While our country is on track to see inflation halved it is right that action is being taken to provide support to people across the nation at this time.
Indeed, the record levels of financial support for households has reached £94 billion.
This includes three payments totalling up to £900 for those eligible and on means-tested benefits. Details of the second of these Cost of Living Payments in 2023-24 have recently been confirmed by the Department for Work & Pensions.
The payments will be made between 31st October and 19th November 2023, with 13,600 households in Crawley to receive support.
These build on Cost of Living Payments made last year worth up to £1,200, and form part of Government’s record financial support for the most vulnerable, worth an average of £3,300 per household.
There is no need to apply for the £300 Cost of Living Payments: they will be sent out automatically and directly to eligible households.
Additionally, eligible pensioner households will also receive a further £300 payment later this year as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment.
This is of course not the only way in which support is being provided to people in Crawley and earlier this month I met Metrobus to discuss local bus services.
The importance of supporting key public transport routes is a priority. I recently received confirmation of a further £1.1 million of investment from Government in bus services across West Sussex.
This means West Sussex has benefitted from a total of over £19.6 million of funding from Government to support bus services since 2022.
Total Government support to protect and improve bus services while keeping fares low has now reached £3.5 billion since 2020.
Single bus tickets are capped at £2 outside London. This had been due to end at the end of this month.
However, the Prime Minister has recently announced that the £2 bus fare cap will now be extended further until the end of December 2024, instead of rising to £2.50 as planned.
The £2 fare cap has cut travel costs, with the average fare dropping by 10.8 per cent in non-metropolitan and rural parts of England.
Given the importance of supporting public transport I am continuing our calls for the Mayor of London not to scrap the Day Travelcard: such a plan would make it harder to visit our capital.
Details of my petition calling for the Mayor to rethink his proposal are on: www.henrysmith.info/savethedaytravelcard
Henry Smith MP
