AIRDRIE MP Neil Gray has urged the UK Government to urgently support households with energy costs, after new research revealed one in 10 people have missed an energy bill because they ran out of money since Covid-19 restrictions began.
The call for action follows a YouGov poll for Citizens Advice Scotland that showed 15 per cent of people who have run out of money before payday since Covid restrictions began have missed an energy payment.
Mr Gray said: “Since the pandemic began, we in the SNP, along with several consumer groups, have repeatedly warned that an increase in energy bills due to the coronavirus lockdown could leave more and more families at risk of fuel poverty.
“I have joined the call for the UK Government to assist households with meeting energy costs through a package of financial measures for the self-employed, increasing UK Statutory Sick Pay to the EU national average, increasing Child Benefit and making the Universal Credit uplift permanent, as well as extending it to legacy benefits.”
