new figures show a record number of children are being referred to the nhs in england for specialist mental health care. cheering. excitement in beijing the winter olympics opening ceremony is just hours away with british athletes aiming to challenge for medals in more events than ever before. millions of households are bracing themselves for what the bank of england is calling the biggest squeeze on living standards for more than 30 years. it s after the largest ever increase to the energy price cap was approved by the regulator, ofgem meaning gas and electricity bills in england, scotland and wales will go up to nearly £2,000 a year. the government has announced measures to help cushion the blow but critics say they don t go far enough. theo leggett reports. for hussain and halima master, who have three kids, rising energy bills means life is getting tougher. it s gone up again, hasn t it? yeah, to 250 that s crazy, that. hussain has a full time job, but they are s
Energy costs in october. but it will have to be paid back through their bills later. most households in england will also get a discount of £150 in april. it will be available for homes in council tax bands a to d and won t need to be repaid. but critics say the government hasn t done enough. they describe the oil and gas companies one of the cabinet ministers as struggling. i m afraid that shows how out of touch they are with the real struggles that are taking place in our country, which is families. leave aside the politics of this, ijust think of the families today, with their heads in their hands, saying how are we going to cope? labour has called for a windfall tax on the profits of big energy companies to help bring down bills and address what it calls our broken energy system. theo leggett, bbc news. laura robinson is a foodbank worker. shejoins me from south hetton in county durham.
Gas since october 2021. including both credit and prepayment metres, 22 million households will be affected and its estimated cases of fuel poverty when energy bills exceed 10% of disposable income would double to 5 million in april. all of this on top of an interest rate rise to half of 1% as well as a planned hike national insurance and rising costs for food and fuel. the energy minister was asked whether the package of support announced by the government in response to those rising bills is enough. it response to those rising bills is enou:h. , . , response to those rising bills is enou:h. ,., , enough. it is a big package, 9 billion. enough. it is a big package, 9 billion- in enough. it is a big package, 9 billion. in your enough. it is a big package, 9 billion. in your opinion, - enough. it is a big package, 9 billion. in your opinion, is - enough. it is a big package, 9 billion. in your opinion, is it l billion. in your opinion, is it enough? billion. in your opinion, is
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This is bbc news with the latest headlines the biggest fall in living standards in 30 years that s the warning from the bank of england as energy prices and interest rates are set to rise. i get out of my cold shower, i stand shivering because i cannot or dare not put on the gas so i ve got no heat. what will the squeeze on the cost of living mean for you? let me know on twitter, @martinebbc using the hashtag. pressure continues to grow for the prime minister as four of his most senior aides resign we will now have a change at number ten downing street in terms of the operation and it s exactly what the prime minister announced on monday.