Labour slam government over second home energy payments

Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has criticised the government as second home owners are set to receive more than one energy bill discount.

Each UK household will receive a minimum £400 grant that will be directly deposited into people’s bank accounts.

People claiming benefits can receive another £650.

£300 extra will be given to pensioners, with another £150 set aside for each person on non means tested disability benefits.

Reeves told BBC One’s Breakfast programme: “It is not right that if you own a second or a third home you should get this £400 payment multiple times. You can now get a situation where somebody who’s incredibly wealthy gets £400 on three or four occasions because they own so many properties.

“This is only happening because this package has been rushed through because the Government has been resisting this.”

Reeves also claimed that her party are “winning the battle of ideas” after yesterday’s government U-turn on an energy windfall tax.

Reeves, who has been urging such a tax for months, said it was “blindingly obvious to everybody else that this was absolutely necessary.”

“I think the big question that still needs to be answered is how are we going to stop ourselves from being in exactly the same position this time next year?” she went on.