ONE of the biggest concerns across Barnsley is the cost of living and the Labour government and Labour council are committed to tackling it.
A number of measures the government have introduced come into effect this month to support households with the cost of living.
The National Minimum Wage has increased to £12.71 per hour for those aged 21 and over from April 2026, providing a pay rise for approximately 2.7 million workers across the country.
Of course, the cost of energy is a real concern, but thanks to the Labour government taking action through the energy price cap, bills will fall on average by £117, and will remain capped for the next three months.
Prescription charges have also been frozen, which means that the cost will stay below £10, and will save people across the country approximately £12m this year.
The fuel duty freeze has been extended until September 2026, and the government has introduced our new Fuel Finder system, which allows drivers across the country to find the cheapest fuel prices in real time, with a requirement on fuel providers to report any changes to prices within 30 minutes.
Under this government, up to 450,000 children will be lifted out of poverty due to the removal of the two-child benefit cap alongside the uprating of child benefit to £27.05 per week for the eldest or only child and £17.90 for each additional child.
This is in addition to the Child Poverty Taskforce announced by the Prime Minister, and the rollout of our free breakfast clubs for every single primary school child, meaning that they can be confident that they will not start their day hungry.
Not only this, but the government have introduced 30 hours of free childcare, helping out working families and reducing the financial burden of childcare by up to £7,500 per year.
No child should grow up in poverty, and I am pleased that we are breaking down the barriers to opportunity, so that children have the best possible start in life.
The government have kept the pensions triple lock, meaning that 1,041,902 pensioners across Yorkshire will benefit from an increase to the state pension this year.
Here in Barnsley and across coalfield communities, thanks to the government returning the Investment Reserve Fund to members of the MPS and the BCSSS, former miners have seen an increase to their pension of between £30 and £100 a week, righting the historic wrong and delivering justice for the miners’ pension scheme.
During my time as a Barnsley MP, I have been proud to campaign for justice for the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme. I secured the cross-party BEIS Select Committee Report into the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme in 2021, which concluded in no uncertain terms that the government ‘should not be in the business of profiting from miners’ pensions’.
The Labour council in Barnsley is supporting families across the borough with the cost of living too, with a great track record on delivering measures for local people.
These measures have included free bus travel, uniform grants and GCSE revision packs for every local child; record investment of £18m in roads and £2m for potholes; zero business rates for over 600 small businesses across Barnsley; cost of living grants for families and pensioners, with travel allowances for low-paid workers; the opening of our brilliant Base 71 youth zone, and the transformation of our town centre, as well as Barnsley becoming the UK’s first ever Tech Town, bringing skills and investment to our area.
This Labour government and your Labour council in Barnsley is committed to tackling the cost of living.
