I know that for too many people right now, the cost of living is making life difficult.
And for a big chunk of working people, it’s hard finding the funds to pay for their commute to work by train.
The fares just seem to go up and up.
You work hard to make ends meet, only to find that the cost of getting to work takes a bigger and bigger slice out of your budget.
It doesn’t seem fair, and yet for years nothing has been done about it.
That is until now – because this government is freezing rail fares for the whole of next year.
It’s the first rail fare freeze in 30 years – which goes to show how long it’s taken for any government to act, and it’s happening under this Labour government.
Millions of commuters will benefit, with those on the more expensive routes saving more than £300 per year.
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It will save passengers hundreds of pounds off their season tickets, freeze costs for travellers, and support growth in town centres across the country.
And it’s just one of a number of measures we’re taking to help. Alongside this we’ve raised the minimum wage to make sure work pays.
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We’ve expanded the Warm Homes Discount, knocking £150 off the energy bills of six million households this winter.
We’re expanding free childcare, helping working parents and now we’re expanding breakfast clubs too.
Taken together, these measures start to mean significant intervention on the cost-of-living crisis that so many are battling.
I know things are tough, but we’re on your side.
And this week the Chancellor will take the tough but right decisions needed to keep inflation down, protect families from rising costs, safeguard public services and keep debt under control for the long term.
Freezing rail fares is step in the right direction.
It’s part of our Plan for Change to build a fairer, stronger and more prosperous Britain – that delivers for working people everywhere.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk.
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