Budget 2023: Yorkshire people react to Jeremy Hunt's announcements including childcare reform

The Chancellor used his Budget to confirm free childcare support will be widened, extend household energy assistance and revamp the amount savers can have in their pensions before being taxed.

There were also benefit changes to encourage those on long-term sick leave back to work and investment incentives for businesses.

As much as the Treasury chief wanted to focus on growth, sustained high energy bills meant further handouts were given as part of helping households and businesses deal with rising costs.

Before he had stood up at the Commons despatch box, the Chancellor confirmed the UK Government’s energy price guarantee, which caps average household bills at £2,500, will be extended at its current level from April to June.

Free childcare announcement

Francesca Barret, a mother-of-one who works as a nurse in Leeds, said: “I think it’s fantastic. Since having my daughter, I’ve worked part time and that’s put my career on hold.

“With the cost of living and childcare bills, I didn’t think we’d be able to have another anytime soon.

“But this could allow me to have another child, return sooner after maternity leave and go back full time.”

Swimming pool announcement

Chris Porter, who manages Tadcaster Community Swimming Pool, said he has seen electricity costs rise by between £5,000 and £8,000 a month since last September, when his previous energy tariff expired.

“I think it's a good thing that the Government has recognised the sector needs help. But we need to make sure that it's the start of something rather than just a one-off payment,” he said

“We also need to figure out how quickly it's going to come out, how we can apply for it and what it can be spent on. There are lots of questions at this stage.”

Beer duty announcement

Chris Gill, who manages The Railway Inn in Calverley, Leeds, said: “If there had been a rise in beer duty I would’ve had to put it onto my beer.

“But this freeze won’t reduce my costs, it just keeps them where they are and they’re still high.”

Mr Gill said he has already increased the price of the pints he serves by an average of 25p, after breweries hiked beer prices earlier this month.

The landlord also said it is “fantastic” that the Government has agreed to continue helping businesses with rising energy bills.

According to the budget, the Energy Bills Discount Scheme will “provide all eligible businesses” and households with a discount until March 2024.

Mr Gill was forced to close the pub’s kitchen and lay off his chef in August, due to the soaring cost of energy.

He said he is currently paying around £2,500 a month, but that bill would exceed £3,000 without the Government-funded discount and reach £5,000 if the kitchen was still open.

“The subsidy can help me get through summer and get some money in the coffers to face next winter,” he said.

"Insane” to put more money into nuclear

The Chancellor’s Budget got short shrift from Hull-based historian and photographer Alec Gill – who said it was “insane” to channel more money into nuclear.

Mr Hunt confirmed nuclear energy would be classed as “environmentally sustainable”.

Dr Gill said Mr Hunt “seemed to sneer at wind and solar by saying the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine”.

He believes relying more heavily on nuclear will “cripple future generations”. “It’s like asbestos, we are having to get rid of it. I think future generations will curse our decision to invest in nuclear.”

Dr Gill was also frustrated that the Chancellor didn’t use the Budget to hammer energy companies’ huge profits.

“On one hand he says he’s going to help with energy bills and keep the cap reduced to £2,500, but at the same time he’s refusing to tax the energy companies with any windfall tax. He says he’s going to help the poor, but the poor will be helping the rich get richer.

“It is disgusting the amount of money Shell, BP and British Gas are making and there’s no mention of them.”

The only element of the Budget to win praise from Dr Gill was measures to boost AI research, including the creation of the Manchester Prize. “I think that’s good. He said it was so Britain could be ‘world leading’ – perhaps he should tax his own cliches,” suggested Dr Gill, who felt the Chancellor had ignored the elephant in the room. “Today there are 400,000 people on strike, the BBC, nurses, junior doctors and teachers and he doesn’t mention anything about giving them any financial incentives to keep the country going.”