Clarion Housing Group comments on Chancellor's Spring Statement
Clare Miller, Chief Executive of Clarion Housing Group, in reaction to the Chancellor's Spring Statement said this afternoon:
“We very much welcome the government’s commitment today to help families with the cost of living. The impact of these rising costs is being felt particularly hard by those living in our homes - rising inflation has a disproportionate impact on low-income households.
"The raising of the threshold at which National Insurance is to be paid is likely to be the measure which will have the single biggest impact on our lowest paid residents. The increase and extension of the Household Support Fund to help vulnerable families cover the costs of day-to-day essentials is also particularly welcomed, and we will ensure we are playing a role in raising awareness of this help available to our residents who might benefit from it.
"To provide more immediate assistance to help families keep up with rising costs, we would have liked to have seen in the Chancellor’s statement an uplift in Universal Credit. The uplift proved to be a hugely powerful and positive mechanism during the pandemic to support the most vulnerable, so we’re calling on the government to consider making it a dynamic and flexible tool that can be used in times of need.”