Liberal Democrat MP Jamie Stone has secured cross party support for his letter to the Chancellor calling for a moratorium on VAT on energy bills through the coronavirus crisis.
The letter comes in the wake of figures from Uswitch forecasting that households could see bills increase as much as £195 as a result of spending more time at home due to government restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.
Jamie Stone, Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross said: “Right across the UK people are desperately worried about how they will make ends meet in the face of this crisis. Many already find themselves out of work, on reduced pay or having to rely on Universal Credit. Ensuring people using prepaid meters are not cut off is a first step, but there are many who will need further assistance.
“The very least the government can do is offer people a break from VAT on energy bills – this would be a quick and effective step which will immediately assist some of the poorest in our society. It will at least partly alleviate the additional financial pressure created by the need to stay at home.”