POLITICS

Liz Truss hints at handouts to help poorest pay energy bills

Tories split over windfall tax as Treasury officials review options
The Tory leadership candidate Liz Truss visited a life sciences laboratory in Alderley Edge, Cheshire. She is opposed to further windfall taxes on energy companies
The Tory leadership candidate Liz Truss visited a life sciences laboratory in Alderley Edge, Cheshire. She is opposed to further windfall taxes on energy companies
CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/GETTY IMAGES

Liz Truss signalled last night that she would hand government cash to the poorest to help with energy bills as the Treasury confirmed that it was working on options for a new prime minister to ease the cost of living crisis.

Benefits increases, cash payments, scrapping VAT on energy, tax cuts and even freezing the energy price cap completely are all being looked by officials as Nadhim Zahawi, the chancellor, aims to give Boris Johnson’s successor a “suite of options” that can be implemented immediately.

Truss now seems likely to offer some form of cash grant to vulnerable households as she stressed yesterday that she would do “all I can” to ensure that people were able to pay their energy bills this winter.

Rishi Sunak at a Tory leadership hustings in Darlington last night. He reluctantly imposed a windfall tax on oil and gas giants earlier this year
Rishi Sunak at a Tory leadership hustings in Darlington last night. He reluctantly imposed a windfall tax on oil and gas giants earlier this year
IAN FORSYTH/GETTY IMAGES

Q&A: