Cost of living crisis: More bills to increase for Northern Ireland households

The cost of living crisis in Northern Ireland is set to worsen this April with more energy price rices and tax increases kicking in.

186,000 SSE customers will notice a 39 per cent hike in the cost of gas from today, April 1.

Business VAT is increasing to 20 per cent again – the levy had been reduced to aid business to survive during the worst of the pandemic.

The levy on single use plastic bags rises on April 1, to 25p per item.

National Insurance is going up by 1.25 per cent on April 6 for one year.

This extra tax is to be used to help fund the NHS, and will cost someone earning the average wage in NI (£28,000) over £300 per year.

The national living wage is however going up from £8.91 to £9.50.

This rise of 6.6 per cent will mean workers get over one thousand pounds more per year before tax.

Pensions will also be bumped up by as much £5.50 per week from April 11, meaning almost £300 more per year being available to people of retirement age.

But, it is still feared that not enough is being done to help households cope with soaring costs.

We asked shoppers in L’Derry what they make of the current crisis:

In Newry, passers-by also shared some significant concerns about the state of affairs:

These punters in Newtownards town centre spoke to Downtown / Cool FM:

Charities, foodbanks and support services have reported significant increases in demand.

We spoke to a Baby Bank in Glengormley/ Newtownabbey, where volunteer Joanne Brolly said the demographic of people seeking help has dramatically widened of late.

It was Methodist lay minister Chris Boucher's idea to start the group in 2019.

He said he knows the dozens of familied they help are but a drop in the ocean in terms of the local poverty issue, but that they are determined to make a difference none the less.

Read more:

Firmus: Gas bills set for price hike in Northern Ireland from May in Ten Towns area

Plastic bags now cost 25p in Northern Ireland

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• cost of living crisis
• National Insurance
• gas price
• NorthernIreland
• household bills