Families in Birmingham are facing a cost of living crisis according to a snap survey conducted by Shabana Mahmood MP, Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood.

Residents are facing a cruel triple whammy that will hit them in their pockets: while energy and fuel prices rise, Ministers are choosing to press ahead with a damaging £1000 cut to Universal Credit and are imposing unfair tax rises on working families.

In Birmingham Ladywood, over four out of five residents who responded to a recent survey have seen their energy bills increase this year. The area also has the joint second highest number of families in the country who will be affected by the cut to Universal Credit.

Over 90 per cent of respondents believed the Government had handled the collapse of energy firms and the fuel crisis at the petrol pumps badly.

In response to the survey, Ms Mahmood has written to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy to demand urgent action to support those struggling to pay their energy bills.

Ms Mahmood has also submitted Written Questions to the Secretary of State regarding the crisis in the energy sector.

Shabana Mahmood, MP for Birmingham Ladywood, said:

“This Government’s failures have paved the way for a cost of living crisis in Birmingham: rising energy prices, a damaging £1000 per year cut to Universal Credit, and a tax rise on working families.

“It cannot be right that working families in my constituency are facing a choice between heating or eating this winter.

“That’s why I’ve written to the Secretary of State and demanded urgent action to support people across Birmingham.”

“The Tories are out for themselves and can’t be trusted to stand up for working people.”

Responding to the survey, constituents from Birmingham Ladywood said:

1. “Universal Credit uplift needs to stay with the high energy prices and food prices. I am sitting in the cold to try and save money.”
2. “I am extremely concerned with the increased of prices of energy. With everything going up in price such as food I am concerned about people will have to choose between eating and heating.”
3. “My gas bill has gone up by £26 a month. I was paying £83 a month and am now paying £109 a month. I am a single parent in benefits with a disabled child and I cannot afford to pay my gas bill for long.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

For summary of survey results email tash.brewis@parliament.uk.