Hunt may offer energy bill help to pensioners and Britons on benefits

While Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce tax increases and a number of Government spending cuts in his Autumn Statement on Thursday, additional forms of financial aid are also anticipated, for those who need it. The speculated support measures come as former PM Liz Truss’ energy price guarantee is set to come to an end next April.The energy price guarantee, which took effect on October 1, reduced the unit cost of electricity and gas so that a household with typical energy use would pay around £2,500 a year on average for their energy.However, while the cap was initially said to be in place for two years, it’s instead been reduced to six months after the markets expressed concerns that it wasn’t sustainable due to international energy price fluctuations.The Chancellor is instead expected to hike the energy price cap up a further £600 for an average household to £3,100 a year, in a move that should slash the energy bailout by two-thirds from costing an estimated £60billion plan to around £20billion.But while this figure remains extortionate for many, it’s thought that Mr Hunt will be announcing new support through more one-off payments to help Britain’s most vulnerable.READ MORE: Hunt to hike energy bills cap to eye-watering £3,100 this week Jeremy Hunt may offer energy bill help to pensioners and Britons on benefits (Image: GETTY)On the measures he’s due to introduce on Thursday, Mr Hunt said they would be ‘compassionate’, but warned it was not ‘sustainable’ to be paying as much as a ‘second NHS’ in support towards energy bills.Speaking with Sky News, Mr Hunt said: ‘The plan that I outline to the House of Commons on Thursday will be one that gets us through these difficult times but also shows British compassion, the support for the most vulnerable people.’The increase in our national energy bill over the last couple of years is around £140billion. It’s like the economy supporting an entire second NHS.DON’T MISS: ‘4 out of 10 Londoners won’t be able to pay their rent [ANALYSIS]Young people will struggle most to pay rising energy bills – Report [REPORT]The household appliances costing you the most in energy [EXPLAINED] Prices for energy are on the increase globally (Image: EXPRESS)The energy support scheme was announced in May by Rishi Sunak when he was Chancellor, as well as the other cost of living schemes for various eligible groups.This included a £650 one-off payment, which was distributed to those who receive certain benefits, a £300 payment for low-income pensioners, and a £150 payment distributed to those with disabilities.It’s thought that Mr Hunt will announce that the same sort of groups may receive some sort of targeted help again, during Thursday’s statement.