Jeremy Hunt could spare millions of households a £500 hike in their energy bill in April given the surprise short-term boost to the public finances, leading economists said on Tuesday.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said a £5.4 billion surplus in January, partly driven by the highest self-assessed income tax receipts since records began in 1999, had given the Chancellor some room for limited, short-term giveaways in the Budget on March 15.
