YORK Central MP Rachael Maskell has repeatedly raised in parliament the growing hardships people are facing due to the ‘cost of living crisis.’

The MP last week tackled chancellor Richi Sunak about government support during topical questions and tackled minister George Eustice in a debate on food price inflation.

Ms Maskell questioned her fellow Yorkshire MP: “With so much affluence in our country, poverty is a political choice—the choice of the Chancellor and his Government.

“In York this week, energy companies are cutting off people’s energy supply, landlords are evicting people, budgets do not balance, poor mental health is spiralling and fear is gripping people on low wages, ill and disabled people and the elderly. That is the Chancellor’s choice.”

She asked: “Why will he not increase social security payments? Such payments should pay, not punish, and keep people safe and secure.”

Chancellor Rishi Sunak replied: “The track record of this Government and previous Conservative Governments is very strong on reducing the number of people in poverty, because that is of course something that we want to achieve.

“On what is without question the number one challenge that families currently face—energy bills—we have brought forward £9 billion-worth of support; many people in the honourable lady’s constituency will have already benefited from £150 of that, and there is £200 more to come.

“Some of the actions of energy companies that the honourable lady mentioned do not sound appropriate and I would be happy to look into the specific cases.”

Later in the week, as the official rate of inflation was announced to be 9 per cent, the Labour MP spoke of how a constituent was supported by the Collective Sharehouse community food support group, which is located on Cygnet Street, off Nunnery Lane .

Ms Maskell told the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA): “When my constituent goes to Collective Sharehouse, she has to select items that do not need to be cooked, because she cannot afford to cook any food.

“She is therefore not getting a balanced diet, and we are going to see inequality grow not only economically but in terms of health outcomes.”

“Will the Secretary of State go back to the Cabinet and speak to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to ensure that we see a proper increase, in line with inflation, in people’s social security and pensions so that they can eat?”

DEFRA Secretary of State George Eustice replied: “As I said, we recognise that the single biggest driver of pressure on household incomes has been rises in gas and electricity bills. That is why the Government have focused their attention on those areas.

“My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions obviously keeps under open review the approach and the support that we give people, but we should recognise that there are around 1 million job vacancies in this country, with unemployment at the lowest level ever. We want to support people into high-paid work.”