Rishi Sunak has been tackled by a single mother who cannot afford to heat her home and has had to take on two extra jobs, as the chancellor faced warnings that he has not done enough to address the biggest fall in living standards on record.
He was challenged on LBC Radio by Hezel, a single mother, who said she had a good salary “on paper” but rising costs had put “an intense strain” on her ability to provide for her children.
She told him that she had reduced her grocery bill to £15 a week, and sometimes goes without food so her children can eat. She said that she and her children had every light possible off, the boiler off, and could sometimes see their breath as they sat in their jumpers and coats. In addition to her main job, she has taken on extra cleaning and a job riding a bike delivering for Uber Eats.
The caller said measures to help on energy bills so far “isn’t going to cut it” and asked him: “Please tell me what else I can be doing.”
In reply, Sunak said he “cannot imagine how difficult” her job was, as he has a “wife and other help”, adding that he pays tribute to her for “working your socks off”. He pointed to the energy bill rebate and higher national insurance threshold that will give a tax cut in July, although it will only offset a tax rise due in April.
This single mum can't afford to turn the heating or lights on in her house due to the cost of living crisis.
— LBC (@LBC) March 23, 2022
She tells the Chancellor what he has offered in the Spring statement doesn't help her situation 'at all'.@IainDale | #RingRishi | https://t.co/Q8LkG3U10f pic.twitter.com/l2pypatuXe
He was also pressed by a caller named Timothy on the decision not to raise benefits despite high inflation. Sunak pointed him to the household support fund giving out supermarket vouchers but the caller said he had been told he was ineligible in his area as a single person.
Another caller, Sarah, who said she was struggling to get a job, was told by Sunak to look at the Kickstart scheme – which closed for new applications from employers in December and ends entirely next week.
Sunak was also pressed by the presenter, Iain Dale, about whether he can understand the struggles people are facing when his own family is very wealthy.
“I’m sitting here in this job as the product of a lot of sacrifice and a lot of kindness from a lot of people in my life,” Sunak said, saying his parents had “worked their socks off” to give him a better life. “I work day and night to spread those opportunities to make sure as many people as possible have those same types of opportunities.”
He added: “I’m making sure that I’m on people’s side and I’d say judge me by my actions.”
