Kate Dearden MP: Tackling the cost of living

Now, with this Labour government, we finally have leadership focused on fixing this. Things won’t change overnight, but we’re working hard to turn Britain around. After 14 years of a Conservative government that let working people down, our priorities are different: we’re putting fairness first, helping those hit hardest, and delivering support where it’s needed most.

At my regular cost-of-living advice surgeries, I continue to hear heart-breaking stories. Parents skipping meals so their children can eat. Workers putting in long hours but still unable to get by. I know how much difference real change will make.

Nearly two-thirds of adults in poverty were living in working households, showing just how many people are struggling despite having a job. That’s a damning reflection of the Conservatives’ record. For too long, people have worked hard but seen little reward. Labour is determined to change that.

That’s why one of our first actions has been to raise the National Living Wage to over £12 an hour, its highest level ever. For the first time, this rate now applies to everyone aged 21 and over, ending the lower pay bands that left younger workers earning less for the same job. That means a pay rise of around £1,400 a year for nearly three million people. It’s not only the right thing to do, it’s good for Halifax too, giving people more to spend in our local shops and small businesses.

For the first time, the cost of living has been properly taken into account when setting these rates, because fair pay for a hard day’s work isn’t just a principle, it’s a necessity.

But better wages are just one part of the plan. We’re expanding the Warm Home Discount to help more people on low incomes, with a £150 reduction on electricity bills. More than £3 million has also been invested in Calderdale through the Household Support Fund, helping people with essentials like food and fuel.

We’re improving energy efficiency in rented homes, helping up to a million renters move out of fuel poverty. And by keeping the triple lock in place, pensioners will see an increase of up to £470 in their state pension this year.

We’ve also launched a new ten-year strategy to tackle child poverty, informed by local experts who joined a roundtable I hosted in Halifax last month. Communities like ours know the reality of deprivation all too well, and under Labour, we’re determined to break that cycle.

These are early steps, but after too many years of decline, we’re finally moving in the right direction. I’ll keep working with this government to go further and faster, and to make sure that by the end of this Parliament, families in Halifax are better off.

If you’d like to attend my next cost-of-living advice event, taking place next month, get in touch with my team: [email protected] or call 01422 399 515.