Martin Lewis grilled Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab on Good Morning Britain this morning as he pleaded with him to "please do more" for the vulnerable hit by rising energy bills. The Money Saving Expert was joined by co-host Susanna Reid in a GMB special episode,which offered viewers, for the first time ever, a chance to call in for free with questions on the cost of living crisis.
During the ITV morning show, the Secretary of State for Justice was interviewed on the rising energy costs and was asked by Mr Lewis what the government was doing to help the "most vulnerable disabled families". "Cost of living challenges are difficult for everyone, but particularly for disabled families," Mr Raab replied.
“The answer to your question is amiss the £20billion package to deal with the cost of living, £22bn now after the spring statement. So if you’ve got a long-term disability, the personal independent payments allow you to take into account living costs."
He continued: "There’s a whole range of other things, the energy rebate, the council tax rebate. The latter has a specific disability component. There's £144million going to councils which is a discretionary fund... local authorities often know the vulnerable in their community best and therefore this gives them a discretionary pot of funding".
But Mr Lewis hit back saying he didn't want to be a "damp squid" but the help currently being offered isn't enough, he added: "If we add up the council tax and we add up the loan not loan that’s coming in October - I get oxygen concentrators and they are well covered and I’m very grateful to hear that - but £350 only covers half roughly the rise. It isn't enough".
"If you had my mailbag Deputy Prime Minister, if you could see the desperation, if you could hear the desperation of the debt councillors and the disability charities. There are people, there are families in this country with people with disabilities who do not have enough money."
"People are going to be in a desperate situation about starving or giving their children medicine here. Can you please do more? Please!" Martin pleaded. "We've got to do everything we can for the most vulnerable in our society," Dominic Raab replied: "We are doing as much as we can. We will always look at if there are better ways for doing it."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV and ITV Hub.
