Every household to get autumn discounts of £400 on energy bill

Rishi Sunak has announced that he will impose a windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas companies to fund measures to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis.

Following criticisms of inaction in the face of soaring prices, the chancellor unveiled a £15bn plan on Thursday, including a £650 payment for eight million of the worst-off households, a one-off £300 payment to eight million pensioner households and £150 each to six million disabled people.

Mr Sunak also scrapped his £200 energy bills loan, replacing it instead with a £400 grant, available to all households. He said that tax breaks for innovation would ensure the windfall tax did not reduce investment in green power.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said Mr Sunak’s announcement showed the Labour Party was “winning the battle of ideas”, adding: “This government’s dither and delay is costing the country dearly.”

As he began his statement to MPs, Mr Sunak was heckled with shouts of “what took you so long” and “about time”.

Windfall taxes in place until prices hit more normal level, Sunak says