Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Dan Bloom

Three-homes Rishi Sunak 'doesn't need' bills help and will give it to charity

Three-homes Rishi Sunak today said he "doesn't need" up to £1,200 in energy bills help from his own government - and will give it to charity.

The Tory Chancellor admitted he is borrowing another £10bn for a £400-per-household discount from October that the wealthiest do not need.

People with second homes will even get £800 and people with third homes £1,200 - if they pay all those homes' energy bills.

But instead of denying them a payment, Mr Sunak challenged them to "set an example" and donate the money to charity.

Mr Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty have entered the Sunday Times Rich List as the 222nd-wealthiest people in Britain with a joint £730m fortune - mostly thanks to his wife's shares in her father's firm.

They are thought to have three UK homes - a listed manor with a swimming pool in Yorkshire, and a flat and townhouse in London.

The Tory Chancellor admitted he is borrowing another £10bn for a £400-per-household discount that the wealthiest do not need (Sky News)

The Chancellor's team have not denied the £1,200 figure, though they haven't clarified either if he pays the energy bills for all three homes. As it's a discount off bills, whoever pays the electricity bill will benefit.

Mr Sunak was challenged by a Sky News interviewer who told him "we don't need the money". But he replied: "Like me you can also give that money to charity if you don’t need it.

"You and I don't need it, but lots and lots and lots of people do."

Boris Johnson declined to say he’d give £400 to charity like the Chancellor, telling reporters: “My arrangements are different because I live in a government flat.”

The Prime Minister pays a fixed "benefit in kind" instead of paying his own energy bill, so wouldn't get the £400 saving personally.

It was also not immediately clear if the Downing Street flat would be eligible for the £400 off energy bills at all - because it is not paid to commercial buildings.

Under yesterday's announcement “buy now pay later” £200 discount off all Brits' electricity bills from October 1 - which had to be paid back over five years - has been axed.

Instead, all households will get £400 off their electricity bills from October over six months and it won't be paid back.

Mr Sunak argued he wanted to be "as universal as possible" with the £400-per-household discount, and there will also be targeted support for benefit claimants, pensioners and disabled people.

He told BBC Breakfast: "Second homes account for one or two per cent of the property stock."

He added: "When you’re trying to make policy that benefits tens of millions of people, there are only a couple of ways you can do that." He pointed to the problems with the council tax £150 rebate - which excluded people in the largest homes regardless of their household income.

He suggested wealthy individuals who do not need the £400 energy bills grant can "join me" in donating the sum to charity.

He told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "I'm sure you will join me in giving that money to charity."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.