Letter to the Prime Minister: Three demands to help victims of cost of living crisis

Prime Minister, we need urgent help.

As Liz Truss today (September 6) prepares to meet the Queen at Balmoral after securing the keys to Number 10, we have this stark message for her on behalf of everyone in Liverpool.

We need help - now - to prevent a cost-of-living catastrophe in our city.

Businesses will fold, many people will go cold, hungry or both and some will die unless you, Ms Truss, take radical action immediately.

Spiralling energy prices are already hitting the poorest in Liverpool hardest.

It is a scandal that prepayment meters, used by many on low incomes, come with higher energy costs under the price cap. It can’t be right that someone on a prepayment meter is charged more than anyone else to boil a kettle or put on the heating.

We are joining forces with our sister titles in cities up and down the UK to demand urgent help for both households and businesses.

Figures from the Office on National Statistics show that Liverpool is one of the places hardest hit by the energy crisis, with residents spending considerably more of their weekly budget on energy than the national average.

Exclusive analysis on behalf of LiverpoolWorld shows the cost of household bills and mortgage payments for a typical family in Liverpool will hit a staggering £1,185 next month. This is £254 more per month than a year ago, a 27% rise.

Liverpool Community Advice have warned that retired, disabled people and young families will simply not be able to afford to pay.

Meanwhile, local shops and businesses have already closed their doors due to spiralling utility bills. Our pubs, local shops and eateries have warned they need Government help to survive.

We are calling on Liz Truss to take immediate action, specifically:

• To stop the cost of energy from going above double the levels seen last winter, for both households and businesses;

• To help those on prepayment meters so they are no longer facing higher energy prices; and

• To tell energy companies that they cannot cut off the supply to any homes this winter if people fall behind on their bills.