The Government’s handling of the economy over the last few weeks has been chaotic and negligent: leading to a rise in prices and mortgages.

Whilst the cost of living has continued to rise, however, wages, pensions and benefits haven’t kept up.

As a result, many people are tightening their belts and planning how to make ends meet.

Unfortunately, some individuals are taking advantage of this, with scammers now using the energy crisis and wider cost of living to trick people.

Scams have increased by 14% compared to last year, with over 40 million people targeted by scammers.

Scammers’ tactics are often very sophisticated and, as a result, it is easy to become a victim.

As scammers become increasingly prevalent, people need to become more vigilant.

Further, the Government has provided very little information about how the Energy Bills Support Scheme money will be given to households.

This has created a lot of confusion about how the discount actually works, especially as it depends on how consumers pay their energy bills. For example, some direct debit customers will receive the rebate as a reduction off their energy bills, while payment card customers will have the discount automatically applied as a credit.

By not providing much information about how the support is received, the Government is leaving the door open to scammers to defraud people who are confused by how they will receive their payments.

Scammers will always take advantage of uncertainty to get people to part with either their cash or sensitive personal details.

Scammers are doing this through texts, emails and calls pretending to be a government or energy company official.

Some sophisticated scammers can even imitate telephone numbers from banks, so it is best to be wary no matter how plausible the request is.

Always request wider verification when requests are made, especially when it concerns personal information such as bank details. Never click on any links which look suspicious.

Your energy supplier should never ask for your bank details in relation to the energy rebate. If you have any doubts or feel something is not right, contact your energy supplier directly.

Your energy supplier will also be able to help you find out how the energy support money will be taken off your bill.

Scams increase when need increases.

If you need support with the cost of living, Barnsley Council have support available for residents including support for utility bills and budgeting advice. If you have been scammed, your bank, Citizens Advice and Age UK can offer support.

I know this is a really difficult time for people in Barnsley. The Government simply is not doing enough to protect our community during this crisis.