Keir Starmer claims Brits shall be higher off regardless of rising payments in ‘terrible April’

Sir Keir Starmer has vowed that people will ultimately be better off despite soaring bills, including energy, water and council tax, in what has been dubbed ‘awful April’

The Government insisted that living standards are improving but acknowledged that rising bills mean people will not immediately feel a change.

Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged rising bills were putting pressure on household finances but claimed that wage increases would leave people better off. Millions are due to be clobbered by rising energy, water and council tax bills, which came into effect on Tuesday in what’s being dubbed “awful April”.

Citizens Advice said those on the lowest incomes were “already stretched to breaking point” even before the price hikes. The Prime Minister admitted this would put pressure on household budgets, but pointed to an increase in the national living wage which he said means many would see their pay packets increase.

But Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the impending rise in employers’ national insurance is having a “massive impact”, warning that firms will pass the rise on to staff in the form of lower wages.

She said that supermarkets have been “shedding jobs” and even industries such as hairdressers cannot afford to take on new staff. The cost of food is also up, with supermarket prices now 3.5% higher than a year ago, up from 3.3% in February.

Starmer said: “I think for most people, they would say the cost-of-living crisis is ongoing, and they feel the pressure financially.

“That’s why it’s so important we make good on our pledge that people would feel better off and the national living wage going up today by an average of £1,400 is going to affect millions of people, so in their pay packet this month, and obviously for months to come, they will now be getting more money.

“That’s alongside the other work we’ve done – interest rates been cut three times since we’ve had a Labour government, so anybody with a mortgage knows that the rates are coming down, and of course, on average, wages going up now more quickly than prices.

“I acknowledge that with bills coming in, people see that rise and that is a pressure. That is why it’s so important we deliver on the national living wage, to make sure people are better off – £1,400, quite a significant amount of money for millions of workers.”

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Workers on the living wage aged 21 and over will get a 6.7% pay increase, from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour.

Meanwhile, customer spending on promotions reached their highest level for four years, making up 28.2% of all grocery sales.

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