As families across the country are squeezed financially from every direction, annual MOT checks could be scrapped under new government plans. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would call on other government ministers in the Cabinet to help ease the cost of living crisis affecting millions in the UK.
Mr Johnson said he would rally his Cabinet colleagues and departments over the coming weeks to double down on finding new ways to offer some respite for households which are being hit hard by rising energy bills and other costs. Sky News reports that during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (April 26), transport secretary Grant Shapps mooted the idea of moving from an annual vehicle check to a check every two years.
The proposed change could save motorists up to £55 annually. However, not all cabinet ministers at the meeting reportedly supported the idea, with at least one objecting on the grounds that inefficient cars burn more fuel.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson urges ministers to double down on easing cost of living crisis
Some industry experts, including motoring body the AA, have also warned such the change could lead to higher repair bills for motorists who do not catch problems earlier on. The Prime Minister's official spokesperson confirmed ministers talked through "a number of ideas" to ease the pressure on household finances which will "feed in to a more formal process".
The cost of living crisis looks set to leave millions of households facing a bleak winter this year. Michael Lewis, chief executive of E.ON, recently warned that up to 40 per cent of households could be in fuel poverty by the end of the year.
He also told MPs his firm was 'expecting a severe impact on customers' ability to pay,' adding that he expected debts of customers to rise by 50 per cent - or £800m. Around one in 10 per cent of UK households are reportedly suffering from fuel poverty at the moment.
