Britons earning £45,000 a year will struggle to pay their energy bills, Chancellor admits

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has admitted that even middle-income people in the UK earning £45,000 a year should also struggle this winter due to soaring energy bills

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi says people earning £45,000 will struggle with the cost of living (

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Britons earning £45,000 a year could still struggle to cope with soaring costs of living this winter, the Chancellor has now admitted.

While there have been concerns about the impact of rising energy prices on the poorest in society, the fight should be much broader, said Nadhim Zahawi, as it will be probably "really hard" for middle income people.

The energy price cap is set to rise by 80% by October, taking the average annual household bill from £1,971 to £3,549 and industry regulator Ofgem warned the government that it must act urgently to "match the scale of the crisis we have before us".

Among contenders to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, Liz Truss is said to be willing to make extra winter fuel payments to pensioners to ease the burden - although she has insisted on cuts in the past taxes rather than "alms".< /p>

While his rival Rishi Sunak said he would provide additional support targeted at the most vulnerable.

Energy bills could increase by up to 80% in October (

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Mr. Zahawi said he was working "hard" to come up with options for an action plan for the next prime minister so he can "take the lead" when he takes office in September. p>

"What worries me is that there are those who don't get benefits," he told the Daily Telegraph.

"If you're a senior nurse or senior teacher on £45,000 a year, you have your