Citizens Advice calls for more cost-of-living support

The government has been urged to do more to help people struggling with the cost of living.

Citizens Advice said ministers have already made “significant moves” to help hard-pressed households, such as scrapping the two-child benefit limit.

However, it stated that more help is needed for those who are at “crisis point”, especially as global instability is “threatening further price shocks”.

Households being pushed deeper into debt

Citizens Advice pointed out that many key bills are going up in April, such as water and council tax.

This, it said, means cost-of-living pressures are holding people in a “vice-like grip, pushing them deeper into debt”.

“The government must give a lifeline to the households struggling the most,” said chief executive Dame Clare Moriarty.

“This should include help with rent costs, better targeted support with energy bills, as well as measures to tackle record-breaking levels of debt.”

You can find a full round-up of what bills and day-to-day expenses are going up in April here.

Try our household bills calculator

If you’re worried about how rising costs could affect your finances, it could be worth trying our free and interactive household bills calculator.

It shows you a personalised estimate of how your monthly costs could change, so there are no surprises when the new bills arrive.

It only takes a couple of minutes to use, and the results are tailored to where you live.

Once you’ve done this, you can take the next step by using our handy budget planner to map out your monthly finances. 

It’s free and easy to use.

And if you’re struggling to keep up with household bills, remember that you might be entitled to some support.

We can check you’re getting all the benefits you’re eligible to claim with our benefits calculator.