Autumn Statement: Relief for some, but energy fears still loom

As the authorities delivered its Autumn Statement, locals successful Southend-on-Sea were anxiously figuring retired what it meant for them. For some, the changes correspond a invited respite, but for others the outgo of surviving situation has already taken a dense toll.

It's a drizzly, grey time successful Cluny Square. The streets successful this tiny assemblage are quiet, with conscionable a fewer radical popping into the section foundation shop, oregon taking their children to play successful the park.

The quadrate comprises a portion of shops and houses, portion a operation artifact looms implicit it. It's location to a precocious fig of pensioners and debased income families, galore of whom trust connected benefits.

Residents present person been deed hard by caller terms rises, says Wendy Wilson, 51, who runs the square's assemblage café. Prices are kept arsenic debased arsenic possible, with a afloat English Breakfast costing conscionable £2.80, but chatter among customers often centres connected the conflict to marque ends meet.

Wendy was braced for the worst from the Autumn Statement, connected Thursday. A azygous mum who works connected the minimum wage, she precocious gave up her beloved favored dogs for adoption. She was disquieted that arsenic prices and bills spiralled, she wouldn't cope.

But Wendy says she was "overjoyed" by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's announcement. His changes mean her hourly wage volition spell up to astatine slightest £10.42, from April, portion her Universal Credit payments volition emergence successful enactment with inflation.

As she lives with her 11-year-old lad successful a lodging relation flat, her rent emergence volition beryllium capped astatine 7%. Energy prices are inactive a concern. She says her lad offered to springiness his pouch wealth backmost aft watching her diligently power everything disconnected astatine location to electricity.

But the £900 outgo of surviving payments promised by the chancellor consciousness similar a lifeline, she says. "The vigor prices going up inactive scares me. But that £900 is going to help, by however overmuch I don't know, but it's each looking positive."

"Everybody astir present thinks the same," she adds, "that this is what we need, assistance for the radical that request helping, not conscionable the apical dogs."

However, the government's plans weren't arsenic affirmative for assemblage lecturer, Adam Weaver, 33. He lives successful Cluny Square with his partner, Cathy, a chap lecturer, and their 3 young children.

Cathy teaches gymnastics and trampolining connected the broadside for other income, portion the household has already made manner sacrifices.

"We precise seldom spell retired to devour anymore and if we instrumentality the kids retired it tends to beryllium to the parkland and stuff. I tin spell to the pub possibly erstwhile a week and person a mates of pints, but the adjacent happening to spell volition beryllium that," helium says.

The Weaver household - who person been done a decennary of below-inflation wage rises - won't payment from increases successful the minimum wage, oregon beryllium shielded from the extremity of the vigor terms cap.

And if they bash commencement getting paid more, the freezing of National Insurance and income taxation thresholds until 2028 means the mates volition apt person to wage thousands of pounds much successful taxation successful the coming years,

But Adam is broadly affirmative astir the announcements, saying helium feels they are close for nine arsenic a whole. "It's bully to spot they've taken connected policies wherever those who person taken connected truly precocious profits volition beryllium utilized to subsidise radical connected truly debased incomes," helium says.

"I don't caput paying a spot much successful taxation providing my bills don't get astronomically worse."

Jack Van Looy, 25, runs Cluny Square's food and spot bar. He utilized to ain the concern but helium sold it owed to outgo of surviving fears, staying connected arsenic the manager.

"Prices were going up, expenses, and I conscionable couldn't spend to support it going," helium says. "It's precise hard to survive. My mum is moving 3 jobs conscionable to get by. We're hanging successful determination but with everything going up, I don't cognize however overmuch longer we tin spell connected for."

The summation successful the nationalist surviving wage volition springiness Jack a boost, but helium says that's inactive "only a tiny leap considering the large leap successful bills".

The shop's rent has changeable up successful caller years, arsenic has the wholesale terms of food and oil. It means the prices the store charges customers volition soon person to emergence for the 2nd clip successful six months, which section residents are delicate to.

"How tin customers spend to travel in, surviving connected minimum wage?" helium adds. "Everyone's going done the aforesaid issues, the aforesaid problems."