Jeremy Hunt is being urged to use the Budget to “put money back into people’s pockets” – with the SNP challenging the Chancellor to not only extend help with energy bills but to raise benefits and public sector wages in line with inflation.
The party’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn called on the Chancellor to use his tax and spending plans to seek to “reverse the damage his government has caused”.
The SNP says that by cutting the Energy Price Guarantee to £2,000 and maintaining the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme to the summer, the UK Government could save households across the UK £1,400 on energy bills.
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The party also wants both benefits and public sector wages to be increased in line with the consumer prices index (CPI) measure of inflation – which the ONS put at 8.8% in January, when housing costs were included.
He demanded: “The UK government must save households £1,400 by cutting energy bills, and maintaining energy support payments. Anything less would be an insult to families, who are struggling to get by.
“And after years of Tory cutbacks, it’s essential that the Chancellor increases public sector pay and benefits by inflation.
“Not only would this raise the pay of millions of workers but it would also provide additional funding for Scottish public services through Barnett consequentials.”
Mr Flynn said “this vital cost-of-living support” could be funded by using some of the £30 billion of financial “headroom” he said was available and by “making fairer choices”, such as introducing a levy on share buybacks, scrapping non-dom tax status and expanding the windfall tax.
The SNP MP said: “This UK Budget is all about choices. Instead of lining the pockets of the wealthy, the Tories must deliver urgent support to stop families falling into poverty and destitution.”
