The unusual proposal would mean people could consult their GP for an assessment of whether they are struggling enough to need help with their bills. The idea, first reported in the Sun on Sunday, was dismissed by shadow health secretary Wes Streeting, saying the Conservatives had “lost the plot on the cost of living crisis and have no idea the level of pressure on the NHS”. . It would probably be resisted by excessive doctors. It comes as the latest forecasts from energy consultants Auxilione suggested energy prices could top £6,000 a year for the average household next year. Ofgem, the regulator, is expected to lift the price cap from £1,971 to £3,576 this week. Truss, the front-runner to enter No 10 next month, hinted in an interview with the Sun on Sunday that she was prepared to support people with rising bills, after previously saying she was not in favor of handouts. He said every government “must make sure that life is affordable for people” and that he was looking for help “across the board”, including businesses. In comments that suggest she may back targeted lower payments and tax cuts for others, the foreign secretary said she would not “spread the handout first” before looking at the causes of soaring energy bills. He said: “What I really object to is taking money from taxpayers and then giving the money back to them in benefits. It makes no sense to me. “That’s why I support keeping taxes low, growing the economy, growing our economy, addressing supply issues.” He added: “Now, of course, in the budget every government has to look at making sure that life is affordable for people. But what’s wrong is to look for the brochure first before tackling the root cause of a problem.” Regarding small businesses, many of which are seeing energy prices rise exponentially, he said, “I’m very, very aware that it’s not just the customers or consumers that have energy price issues, it’s small businesses as well.” It also downgraded the outlook for a recession, despite the fact that the economy shrank by 0.6% in the last quarter. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “There’s a lot of talk that there’s going to be a recession,” he said. “I don’t think this is inevitable. We can unlock opportunities here in Britain.” Kwasi Kwarteng, her most likely choice for chancellor, also gave an interview to the Mail on Sunday saying “help is coming”. Truss leadership rival Rishi Sunak has previously said he would give around £10bn worth of aid to offset rising gas and electricity costs.
