The heads of 70 charities have called on the government to take emergency measures, warning parents are facing heartbreaking decisions about whether to heat their homes or feed their children.
In a bombshell letter to Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, the leaders of dozens of charities, including the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Age UK, the Children's Society and Macmillan Cancer Support, warned the current £1,200 payment to everyone on means-tested benefits only covers about half the energy price hike.
They said it highlights the need for another payment "of at least the same magnitude" as pressure mounts on the government to step up its support for struggling families.
