The government has announced few measures to help householders with the cost of living crisis.
They include a £150 council tax rebate and a compulsory £200 energy bill 'loan'. And a few weeks ago, Government Transport Secretary Grant Shapps suggested extending the requirement for cars that are more than three years old to renew their MOT certificate every year to every two years.
But councils have until the end of September to issue the money and thousands of people across Yorkshire are still waiting for their rebate. A high-profile blunder saw Leeds City Council apologise after 25,000 people were accidentally sent the £150 rebate twice.
Read more: Leeds dad resorts to turning lights off and living in dark to keep on top of bills
Financial expert Martin Lewis warned the £200 energy 'loan' could cost £800 to pay back for those in a house share, like students, and called for it to be axed. He said: "This is effectively a gamble from the chancellor that energy bills will drop substantially next April and I think it's quite a risky gamble and I hope he's right.
"But with escalating conflict in Ukraine, it's definitely not a given."
And having an MOT test every other year would save motorists just £27.43 a year. The AA motoring group has said changing the requirement could even end up costing motorists more.
Let us know what you think in our comments section.
Energy bills alone have risen by around £700 after a huge 54% price cap increase came into effect on April 1. It's set to last until October when we'll likely see it spike upwards again. And homes in Leeds, along with in Bradford, Kirklees and Sheffield, saw a rise of 3% for council tax. There was a council tax rise of 4.5% in Rotherham, 3.5% for Barnsley and 4% for York. In March, average petrol prices exceeded £1.55p per litre for the first time and oil prices continue to soar due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, we're all turning to Martin as he regularly hands out tips on how to save £10 per year by switching our TVs off at the wall at night.
So let's assume for the sake of argument that you live in a band B house in Leeds, you drive a car and your employer isn't giving you a pay rise this year. Per year, your energy bills will have gone up around £700, your council tax will have gone up around £35 and your petrol will cost £1,112. But the government is giving you £350 off, maybe £377.43 if you're lucky. Is that enough?
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