CABINET ministers have been ordered to draw up emergency plans to slash the price of food, oil products, clothes and phones to ease Britain’s cost-of-living crisis.
Under-fire Boris Johnson vowed last night to “do all we can to help” and is scrambling his top team to insist they come up with radical proposals to knock hundreds of pounds off family bills.
The ideas will be added to those already touted and will include urging hard-up families and pensioners to claim all the benefits to which they are entitled.
It comes as figures reveal Brits could spend £10billion extra every year on soaring petrol costs.
Mr Johnson wants his ministers to offer suggestions that can be moulded into a budgeting blueprint to help householders — but without splurging more taxpayers’ cash.
He is planning to use Britain’s Brexit freedoms to help families struggling to make ends meet.
Among the proposals already to have landed on Boris’ overflowing desk is the plan to slash tariffs on food that Britain is not able to produce, such as rice.
Ministers are also considering reducing the cost of fuel by cutting the small tariffs that remain on refined oil products.
It is hoped that this could knock a little off today’s record energy bills.
The cost of branded clothes and electrical goods — such as smartphones and tablets — could also be slashed by tearing up red tape to allow more “parallel imports” from abroad.
This would let consumers buy branded goods directly from countries where they are cheaper rather than Britain.
Millions of parents and pensioners will also be told they could be up to £3,300 better off every year if they claim the benefits to which they are entitled.
Currently, 1.3million families do not take up the offer of up to £2,000 a year towards childcare costs.
And around 850,000 OAPs are not drawing their pension credit which could be worth more than £3,300 a year.
Proposals to ban Buy One Get One Free supermarket offers are also expected to be ditched.
EASING THE BURDEN
Mr Johnson will rally his top lieutenants to leave no stone unturned in the blitz during a special Cabinet meeting today.
He said: “With household bills and living costs rising in the face of global challenges, easing the burden on the British people and growing our economy must be a team effort across Cabinet.
“We have a strong package of financial support on offer, worth £22billion, and it’s up to all of us to make sure that help is reaching the hardest-hit and hard-working families across the country.
“We will continue to do all that we can to support people without letting Government spending and debt spiral, while continuing to help Brits to find good jobs and earn more — no matter where they live.”
The ideas will start landing on the PM’s No.10 desk in the coming weeks and then Boris will decide what makes his final blueprint for Brits on a budget.
Struggling families are facing the biggest fall in living standards since 1956 as prices and taxes rocket.
Terrified Tories fear the crisis could end up costing them the next election.
But with Britain economy in the doldrums and taxes already at their highest since the 1940s, the Treasury is resisting calls for more cash to ease the pain.
Instead, Downing Street has been put on a war-footing to tackle the crisis without splashing out billions more.
ELECTION FEARS
In today’s Cabinet call to arms, Boris will urge his ministers to double down on easing costs for Brits and helping them claim cash to which they are already entitled.
Businesses will also be ordered to play their part. Ministers will make it clear they will not hesitate to crack down on callous profiteering which unfairly pushes up bills.
One of the most radical measures being suggested by some within Cabinet involves a proposal to let branded products, such as iPhones and Samsung tablets, be sold in Britain for less.
This could be done by allowing punters to buy the goods direct from foreign suppliers at lower prices, rather than only through approved UK suppliers which can be pricier.
It is currently not illegal to buy or sell these products, known as grey products, in the UK.
But sellers do need to apply for a licence to do it and this is often bureaucratic and not commonly done.
