Government’s cost of living work group has not met for six months

Ministers have not held a meeting of the body since the start of the Partygate scandal

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak with ministers (Getty)

The government’s working group to address the cost living has not met for six months despite surging energy prices, The Independent has learned.

The inter-ministerial group on the cost of living last met in early November 2021 but has since ground to a complete halt with no meetings held since the beginning of the Partygate scandal.

The revelation comes after widespread criticism of the government’s response to the cost of living crisis, with ministers accused of being “asleep at the wheel” and focused on other matters.

Earlier this month inflation hit a 30-year high of 7 per cent on the back of sky-rocketing fuel costs – but ministers have offered little extra help beyond a temporary loan scheme announced by Rishi Sunak in March.

The lack of meetings in recent months means the group has not met at all since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is partly responsible for the surge in energy prices.

Ministers say they have held “extensive” discussions about the cost of living with each other outside the scope of the group, but admit it has not officially met for around half a year.

According to the government, the work group is meant to make sure there is “a cross-government understanding of the cost of living challenges, particular for those on lower incomes and to encourage a joined up approach”.

Opposition parties say ministers were clearly more preoccupied with the future of Boris Johnson’s premiership, which has been engulfed by scandal since the allegations of partying at No 10 were first reported at the end of November.

“We’re seeing the biggest real-terms cut to pensions in 50 years, severe cuts to Universal Credit, punishing tax rises, and rocketing energy bills – yet hapless Tory ministers are more preoccupied with scheming to get their law-breaking prime minister off the hook,” said Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary.

“The Conservatives can’t even be bothered to meet to help families with a cost of living crisis made worse in Downing Street. With rising costs hitting families hard, the government should back Labour’s plan for a one-off windfall tax on oil and gas firm profits to cut household energy bills by up to £600.”

And Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “This is all the proof you need that the government is asleep at the wheel during the worst cost of living crisis in a generation.

“Families are struggling to put food on the table while their energy bills go through the roof. Pensioners are being short-changed and left in the cold by broken promises. Yet ministers can’t even be bothered to come together and thrash out a plan to help. It really is shameful.

“Their inaction is an insult to millions facing this alone. It’s high time this government gets a grip and starts treating this cost of living emergency with the urgency it deserves.”

Under the energy bill scheme announced by the chancellor in March everyone will receive £200 off their next energy bill, but then have their next five years of bills increased by £40 to “recover” the cash.

The policy has had lacklustre reception from the public. Polling by YouGov for the MoneySavingExpert website found that just 26 per cent of people responsible for the bills in their house would choose to take part in the scheme were it voluntary, with 57 per cent saying they would not and 17 per cent saying they do not know.

In a written parliamentary answer, David Rutley, a minister at the department for work and pensions said: “We are committed to working across government to support households, which is why we convened the cost of living inter-ministerial group to ensure a cross-government understanding of the cost of living challenges particular for those on lower incomes, and to encourage a joined-up approach to future work in this area.

“Ministers have had extensive and wide-ranging discussions around the cost of living and will continue to do so in the future. The inter-ministerial group last formally met on 9 November 2021.

“Ministers and officials from across government have constant discussion on policy development and implementation, including ahead of the announcement on help with energy bills on 3 March and the Spring Statement on 23 March 2022.”