MARIE Rimmer MP says the "country is sleep walking into the biggest economic crisis for a generation" amid the cost of living crisis.

The "cost of living crisis" refers to the fall in "real" disposable income that the UK has experienced since late 2021.

It is being caused predominantly by high inflation outstripping wage and benefit increases and has been further exacerbated by recent tax increases.

In early February, the government announced some measures to respond to high energy prices.

Families in need of support

In St Helens, many families are now having to seek support.

Marie Rimmer, MP for St Helens South and Whiston, said: “Energy bills are set to go through the roof. Yet we have an absent Government and a missing Prime Minister. The country is sleep walking into the biggest economic crisis for a generation.

“Keir Starmer has set out what the Government needs to do.

“First and foremost is to freeze the energy cap. The cap is failing if it double in prices and cost hard working families a lot of money.

“So many families cannot afford this. It’s the low income and also the middle-income families that are set to struggle.

“It is not right that families that are working full time will struggle to pay their energy bills.

“Many will have to choose between eating or heating. Oil and gas companies should not be making £billion in profit while families suffer.

“The Government needs to act now and freeze the energy cap before it is too late.”

One service who has seen an increase in calls for support is Teardrops Supporting Your Community.

People needing more and more to make ends meet

Shauni Ward, co-founder of the charity, based on Crab Street, said: “The amount of people using our service has doubled in the past six months and almost half of those are families with children needing help.

“Every service is struggling with limited resources and a double workload, but people are needing more and more support to make ends meet.

“People want to give their children the best of everything – of course they do – but the current cost of living crisis is leaving many people having to make difficult choices and with colder weather approaching the need for support will just get worse.

“People are going to be eating more unhealthy as well. It’s a real concern and the government need to consider how this is going to affect people on low income as well as normal families who just about make ends meet.”