Not every poor person is on benefits, so where’s their lump sum for energy bills?

‘It creates a cliff edge between those on universal credit, who get hundreds of pounds, and someone earning £1 too much.’ Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

The autumn statement wasn’t exactly full of joy, with its forecast of a rise in unemployment of 500,000, but it did include information on energy bill support after April – Jeremy Hunt announced a less generous version of Liz Truss’s price guarantee, capping typical bills at £3,000 v £2,500 now.

Lower-income households can’t afford that, so Hunt also announced a £900 lump sum for households on benefits such as universal credit. Can we rely on such payments? They’ve only been used in July and November 2022 (Hunt is repeating a Rishi Sunak innovation), which means we have little evidence. So a University of Bath briefing on the experience, drawing on claimant interviews, adds value.