Voice of Westminster

GLOBAL AND LOCAL

ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

As we approach what is expected to be a tough winter, linked to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the impact this is having on global energy and food prices, our local MP Louie French highlights in this edition the package of support available to help local people with the cost of living.

“The cost-of-living situation is a worry for everyone. We were already facing global economic challenges following the Covid pandemic, but the ongoing war in Ukraine has made many of these challenges much tougher, including the impact of higher energy prices and disruption to food supply. My focus remains on helping people and businesses with these challenges, and I am doing all I can to ensure local people are aware of the financial support available to them, especially pensioners who are missing out on benefits such as pension credit for those on lower incomes.

The Government has recently deployed Bexley’s own Len Goodman from Strictly Come Dancing fame to help promote its Pension Credit awareness campaign, with an estimated 850,000 pensioners across the UK missing out on £3,300 per year in unclaimed benefits. If you are unsure whether you or a friend could be entitled to pension credit or support, please do contact my office for advice. We are in the process of organising a free Older Persons Advice Fair to be held in Sidcup this Autumn.

There is also a cost-of-living package of support being rolled out for all households in Sidcup from October. At the time of writing, the Government has announced an unprecedented £37 billion package of support, which will see all households receive non-repayable grants of £400 off their energy bills, with additional help for more than 8 million lower income households of £650 and a one-off £300 pensioner cost of living payment to help those receiving Winter Fuel Payments. However, please note that the levels of financial support might change by the time you are reading this. Again, please do contact my office directly for advice and support. aware of that you can read more about by subscribing to my monthly newsletter via www.louiefrench.org. uk/newsletter

We are pleased that Sidcup will soon have its second Post Office branch opening at Sidcup Local Express in late September. This is welcome news and follows many months of lobbying by the BID, Councillors, the late James Brokenshire, and me. I am also pleased to see new businesses opening in Sidcup and like many people in the community, I am excited that Sidcup’s new modern cinema and library will soon open, bringing a further boost to the high street and our community. Those looking for a quieter time can also visit the Sidcup Place Community Garden, which recently received a Green Flag Award thanks to the incredible efforts of local volunteers.

Delivering for our area will always be my top priority and having already helped secure new trains on the Sidcup line and additional funding for a number of our schools, my number one goal is to deliver further investment in Queen Mary’s Hospital and local health services. After months of hard work, I am pleased that our hospital has been shortlisted as one of the sites looking to establish a new community diagnostics hub, which would bring more frontline services to Sidcup. The decision on the business case will shortly be made by NHS England and we will be keeping everything crossed for a positive outcome!”