Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:15 pm on 22 March 2022.
Diolch, First Minister. And you will be aware, I'm sure, of data from the 'Crunch Point' report from Citizens Advice, which shows that 14.5 million people—one in five people in Britain—won't be able to afford their energy bills when prices rise in October, just as we enter winter. And by then, a single person in receipt of benefits will be spending up to 47 per cent of their universal credit on energy bills. Households on prepayment meters will be particularly hard hit, and so, of course, children, the elderly and disabled people are likely to face the harshest of winters unless action is taken.
First Minister, no Government should allow its people to freeze or starve, but that's exactly what's going to happen unless the Prime Minister and the Chancellor take immediate and dramatic action on energy costs. And I'm concerned that those who are struggling should not stay hidden, away from view, or deprived of essential support. First Minister, are you aware of what data is collected by energy companies regarding self-rationing of energy supplies, or indeed self-disconnection?