We cannot forget the people most affected by the cost-of-living crisis

It’s important, when writing about the government’s lacklustre and frankly, quite insulting plans, including Rishi Sunak’s £200 “discount” on energy bills, to keep the people who will feel the most devastating effects of the cost-of-living crisis at the forefront of our minds.

For me – as a journalist, as a consumer of media and as a person – it’s essential that coverage of this crisis is not just delivered in the abstract. It shouldn’t always be about political point scoring or the impact on Sunak – who is worth a reported £200m, so probably won’t be worried about the heating bills – and his leadership bid.

Those who will, inevitably, be worst affected by soaring energy bills, rising food prices and the highest rate of inflation in 30 years – people already struggling after a decade of austerity – need to be at the heart of the story.

As the letters we’ve received demonstrate, readers are not fooled by Sunak’s paltry energy bill loan, masquerading as something actually helpful. It has also not gone unnoticed that the government’s decision to strip away the £20-per-week uplift to universal credit – a move that I would argue is both cruel and stupid – seems even nastier when placed alongside Sunak’s willingness to just forget about £4.3bn in fraudulently claimed Covid support payments.

Oil and gas prices are surging, but there are still options. One of them is a hefty windfall tax on bloated oil and gas companies, which are enjoying record profits and handing their shareholders fat billions.

To keep up to speed with all the latest opinions and comment, sign up to our free weekly Voices Dispatches newsletter by clicking here

On Voices, we work to present a range of experiences and – as the name suggests – voices, to inspire robust discussion and to challenge our readers.

The voices of those who are living in poverty, who are already sick with worry over basic costs like food and heating, and who are so often the targets of punitive government policy, need to be heard. My own experiences of universal credit and financial hardship have always informed my journalism, and will continue to do so.

Yours,

Harriet Williamson

Voices commissioning editor