Families hardest hit by energy crisis could be given funds dispensed by councils in England
Families hardest hit by the looming energy crisis caused by the Iran war could be given funds dispensed by local councils, under plans being considered by UK ministers keen to keep a lid on costs.As concerns increase about the impact of rising fuel and energy costs in response to a drawn-out conflict in the Middle East, a government official said several options for extending support were being debated inside Whitehall.Under one plan, extra cash could be injected into the crisis and resilience fund (CRF), a £1bn a year council-run scheme in England that takes effect from Wednesday “to provide preventative support to communities, as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis”.It is understood that the fund could be topped up to help cushion households identified by councils as facing particular hardship from higher energy bills.The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is examining plans to support households with energy bills forecast to hit nearly £2,000 a year from July.
However, she has ruled out the universal support offered by Liz Truss’s government in 2022 and is under pressure from financial markets to limit the extent of the support to keep within budget spending limits.Thinktanks have been urging the government to move quickly to identify the poorest households amid concerns about the complexity of the task.Between 2022 and 2024, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Treasury calculations showed households in the top 10% of earners received an average of £1,350 of direct energy bill support.One official said, this time, targeting support was important.Torsten Bell, a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions and the Treasury, is understood to be coordinating the government’s response.
Bell is known to be concerned that bailouts only targeted at benefit claimants will attract negative headlines in parts of the media that are concerned about the drop in living standards among lower-paid workers who do not usually qualify for state support.An extension of the CRF would allow households that have high bills but do not currently qualify for benefits to apply for grants.The Treasury declined to comment.Last week, Reeves told the Commons: “The progressive, universal approach that we are taking is the right one … £150 off everyone’s energy bills, but then targeted support for those who need it most.”She added: “Contingency planning is taking place for every eventuality, so that we can keep costs down for everyone and provide support for those who need it most.
Acting within our ironclad fiscal rules to keep inflation and interest rates as low as possible.”Government borrowing costs around the world have climbed since the US and Israel attacked Iran as financial markets have calculated that governments will be urged to borrow more heavily to cope with the war’s aftershocks.Declines in bond prices have pushed the yield, or interest rate, higher.On Friday, the interest rate on 10-year debt hit its highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, just over 5%.Rates eased to 4.
95% by Monday.Without a truce or resolution in the Middle East conflict, rising yields would further increase the interest bill on government debt and eat into the chancellor’s budget headroom.Brent crude is on course for a record monthly rise of nearly 60%, exceeding gains it made during the 1990 Gulf war.The global oil benchmark rose 3.5% on Monday to just over $116 a barrel.
The latest Which? consumer insight tracker found that rising prices were forcing half of UK households, an estimated 14 million, to make at least one adjustment – dip into savings, sell possessions or borrow money – to cover the cost of essentials on a daily basis.Several European governments have acted to reduce the strain on households.Madrid has cut the level of VAT on fuel while Berlin has limited German petrol stations to one price rise a day.Sébastien Lecornu, the French prime minister, said the government was planning to expand the number of households eligible for support.He said an additional 700,000 extra households would receive an average of €153 (£133), bringing the total number of beneficiaries to about 3.
8 million, at a cost of €600m for the state.In a message posted on X, Lecornu said the mechanism, which has existed since 2018, helped the poorest households “cope with energy expenses and pressure on purchasing power” by directly reducing electricity, gas, or heating oil bills.
The Guide #236: Is celebrity casting a cynical marketing stunt or does it help to democratise theatre?
Timothée Chalamet might have smirked his way out of an Oscar. Sabrina Carpenter might have been roundly snubbed at the Grammys. But there’s one place both would be welcomed with open arms: the UK theatre scene.It seems we can’t get enough of celebs on stage (acting chops preferable but not mandatory). This week alone, London’s West End features Stranger Things star Sadie Sink, singer Self Esteem and Strictly cutie pie Johannes Radebe
From The Magic Faraway Tree to 5 Seconds of Summer: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
Enid Blyton’s classic kids’ fantasy novel gets the big-screen treatment, while the Aussie boyband hit the UK’s arenasThe Magic Faraway TreeOut now A family relocate to the countryside where they find a magic tree that transports them to a fantasy realm in this family adventure. Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2) adapts the Enid Blyton series for the big screen, with Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy starring as Mr and Mrs Thompson.They Will Kill YouOut now This latest eat-the-rich horror, directed by Kirill Sokolov, pits plucky ex-con Asia (Zazie Beetz) as a woman who answers a bad-faith “help wanted” ad against the inhabitants of a luxurious but demonic New York apartment complex that demands regular human sacrifices from its cult of devotees.SplitsvilleOut now Billed as an unromantic comedy about four people navigating the opportunities and pitfalls of ethical non-monogamy, this modern farce follows two couples as they make up and break up in different combinations. With Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Kyle Marvin (who also co-wrote the script) and Michael Angelo Covino (who also directed and co-wrote)
Jimmy Kimmel on Mike Johnson’s new award for Trump: ‘You can almost feel his spine exiting his body’
Late-night hosts mocked the Republican party’s inaugural “America First” award for Donald Trump as he finally reveals the “present” he received from Iran.Jimmy Kimmel had a field day with the Republican National Committee’s inaugural “America First” award, presented to Trump on Wednesday by Mike Johnson, the House speaker, who described the prize as “appropriate for the new golden era in America”.“I can’t figure out who should be more embarrassed: the guy who came up with the new award, or the guy who proudly accepted the new award,” Kimmel laughed.“Watch Mike Johnson here,” he added before a clip of the lawmaker’s speech. “You can almost feel his spine exiting his body
Dark Mofo: 2026 festival to show Willem Dafoe film that can only be watched by one person at a time
A hallucinatory experimental film starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Rampling that can only be watched by one person at a time is heading to Australia as part of Tasmania’s 2026 Dark Mofo festival.It’s estimated that only 500 people in the world have seen French artist Loris Gréaud’s film Sculpt since its premiere at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2016 – although the exact figure is hard to know, since he later gave the files to hackers to distribute over the dark web.But come June, a lucky few can bid to join the film’s rarefied audience, when Gréaud presents a new edit – bemusingly titled Sculpt: Eye of the Duck – to one audience member at a time at a secret location outside of Hobart. It exemplifies the kind of weird and wonderful, rare and had-to-be-there experience that Dark Mofo has become known for.On the morning of each performance, hopeful viewers will be able to queue at a box office in downtown Hobart for one of nine timed, solo-viewing slots that day
Seth Meyers on Donald Trump’s ‘present’ from Iran: ‘Is the president getting catfished?’
Late-night hosts speculated on Donald Trump’s mystery “present” from Iran, as well as his delusions about a war he claims the US is not in.On Wednesday’s Late Night, Seth Meyers reminded viewers, once again, that Donald Trump “promised no more wars in the Middle East” before his recent military strikes on Iran.“But you guys, good news! It’s not a war,” he joked. Instead, according to Trump, it’s an “excursion” or “a little journey” in Iran. “Stop calling it an excursion!” Meyers exclaimed
Will this ‘Doritos-inspired’ hot cross bun cause some spicy full-scale anarchy – or is it merely weird-smelling clickbait?
Alyx, I tried one of the orange bread-things you left in the office kitchen. What was that?That, Julia, was the apotheosis of this year’s Easter rush of frankenfoods, a “Doritos-inspired” cheesy jalapeño hot cross bun. The trend of turning everything into a hot cross bun and turning hot cross buns into everything has been going for a while now, and this year the world’s biggest food companies got on board like brands at a pride parade in 2015.A savoury take is the most obvious of the not-crosses, which is why I bought it, but I also walked past a shelf filled with discounted Iced Vovo hot cross buns, alongside a bunch of other Arnott’s biscuits. If I’d gone to Woolworths instead of Coles, I could have picked up various CadburyxHXB collabs; and Aldi is doing a carrot cake number
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