Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cost of Living: Support for Families

Monday 26 January 2026 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Phil Brickell questioned the Minister about the high cost of living in Bolton West and the need for additional support for families.
  • The Minister responded by acknowledging the struggle of many homes in England to afford heating and announced a new fuel poverty strategy and warm homes plan.
  • Kirsty Blackman inquired about the possibility of matching the SNP's Scottish child payment to help more families with children avoid poverty.
  • The Minister stated that lifting the two-child limit in the child poverty strategy would lift about 450,000 children out of poverty, along with other measures.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Phil Brickell Lab Bolton West
Energy Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP notes that despite having jobs, almost 4,000 people in his constituency still rely on universal credit to cover basic needs. He highlights persistently high heating, water, and food bills.

Question

Almost 4,000 people with jobs in my Bolton West constituency still need universal credit to cope with the cost of living. Heating, water and food bills have been stubbornly high. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that families in my constituency get the support they need to pay the bills?

Answer from Diana Johnson

We recognise that too many homes in England struggle to afford heating, and tackling fuel poverty is a Government priority. On 21 January, we published a new fuel poverty strategy, alongside the warm homes plan, to better protect fuel-poor households by 2030. At Budget 2025, we cut energy bills by an average of £150 and expanded the warm home discount, providing £150 rebate to a further 2.7 million low-income households.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address food costs or other non-energy expenses in her response.

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Q2 Kirsty Blackman SNP Aberdeen North
Economy Children & Families
Context

The MP highlights the ongoing struggle of families with high food and energy costs, noting that many are falling further into hardship. She questions whether the Government is considering measures like the SNP's Scottish child payment to alleviate child poverty.

Question

Food and energy costs remain high, and a significant number of families are struggling—more than they ever have before—to try to make ends meet. Has the Minister given any consideration to matching the SNP’s Scottish child payment to ensure that more families with children can be kept out of poverty?

Answer from Diana Johnson

As I said, we lifted the two-child limit in the child poverty strategy. We know that will lift about 450,000 children out of poverty. Combined with all the other measures that we have set out, including on free school meals and so on, we think that about 550,000 children will be lifted out of poverty. That is against the backdrop of the 900,000 children who went into poverty during the time of the Conservative Governments from 2010 onwards. Of course, we speak all the time to the Scottish Government, and we will continue to have conversations about how we can deal with child poverty.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not confirm whether the government is considering matching the SNP's Scottish child payment.

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