Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Thérèse Coffey is to face questions from the Work and Pensions Committee on what the Government is doing to support people facing rising food and energy costs.
During a one-off session on the cost of living, the Secretary of State is likely to be asked about the Government’s approach to uprating benefits given forecasts of rising inflation and her assessment of the success of the Household Support Fund.
Dr Coffey could also be asked about cross-departmental work through her role as the Chair of the Inter-Ministerial Group on the cost of living and the role of the benefit system in supporting households affected by rising energy prices, food poverty and the subject of Universal Credit and childcare costs.
Appearing on a panel before the Secretary of State will be representatives from support organisations and policy experts. They are likely to be asked for their assessment of the impact of rising living costs and the effectiveness of government policy.