"This week, the Prime Minister announced the end of all the remaining Covid restrictions – unveiling our plan to live with the virus as we get back to normality. We’ve built up strong protections against Covid over the past two years through the vaccine rollout – including the booster, tests, new treatments and the best scientific understanding of what the virus can do. This doesn’t mean that Covid will suddenly disappear and there may be times when infection rates rise again. However, now that vaccines have broken that link between cases, hospital admissions and deaths I think it is right that we treat Covid like any other illness. Actually, I think the experience we’ve all been through in the last couple of years has made people more cautious in limiting their social contact whatever illness they have and the government’s guidance still advises people to do precisely that if they contract Covid. An additional booster will also be offered to all adults over-75, those who live in care homes or have weakened immune systems.
Storm Eunice certainly lived up to the weather warnings, battering our coastal communities last Friday. A huge thanks to the emergency services, our local councils and electricity providers for working so hard to clean up and to restore power so quickly. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to have part of their home damaged. If you did too then there is some good advice online from the Association of British Insurers about making claims.
Finally, the energy regulator OFGEM has announced that the energy price cap will rise in April. Without action, this would be very tough for millions of families. So, the government are stepping in with a £350 Energy Bills Rebate. The first part of the scheme spreads the extra costs of this year’s price increase over time. In October every household will receive a £200 discount on their electricity bills. People will then have five years to repay that discount in equal instalments of £40 a year. We'll also provide more help to those who need it most by discounting Council Tax bills by £150 in April. Providing the discount to households in Bands A to D. Around 80% of all homes in England. East Suffolk Council will also get a discretionary fund to help lower income households in higher Council Tax bands."