ESS President, Deputy Peter Roffey said the help is targeted at islanders who are struggling to make ends meet, and he urged anyone who has any queries about whether they might benefit from income support to contact his department to discuss what options might be available to help them.

Pictured: Deputy Peter Roffey hopes the emergency increase in income support rates will come in during October, to help struggling families through the cost of living crisis.

"Although the cost-of-living crisis is not unique to Guernsey, we need to ensure that we do what we can, as soon as we can, for Islanders on the lowest incomes, who are already feeling the impact of the increasing cost of food, fuel and many other essentials," he said.

“If you don’t currently receive income support and are struggling to make ends meet, I urge you to get in contact with the Income Support team to see what financial support may be available to you."

Among the increases proposed under the emergency measures, is a 5% uplift to all income support requirement rates, meaning the level of income below which people can receive income support. 

Benefit limitations, maximum rent allowances and the winter fuel allowance will also be increased.

ESS is hoping this will "close some of the gap between the current income support rates and the current cost of food, fuel, rent and other essential goods and services."

Pictured: If approved by the States at their September meeting, the increased rates will come into force on 7 October, 2022.

The emergency measures will be a short term 'stop gap' to help people, ahead of the ordinary uprating of all non-contributory benefits which will happen in January as scheduled and would have seen these increases implemented then.

The interim uprating will be managed within the 2022 budget by reallocating any ESS department underspend, while the 2023 uprating will be brought to the States for debate in November alongside the 2023 budget.

Deputy Roffey is confident the emergency uprating will be approved, adding “we’re very grateful to the Presiding Officer for allowing the Committee to submit this Policy Letter at such short notice."

Pictured top: Anyone struggling to make ends meet is urged to contact ESS for assessment.