Marmalade, for example, will see a 20% tariff, plus an additional £19 charge per 100kg imported, suspended.
Healey said the ongoing wars in Iran and Ukraine had “hit families here at home through higher everyday costs”.
“We can’t control global events, but we can act where we can make a difference,” he added.
Other measures the government announced include:
-
Making permanent a 55p per mile tax-free mileage rate for those driving up to 10,000 miles for work, with the rate rising from 25p per mile to 35p above that
-
Allowing carers to earn more than an existing earnings limit without losing their entire allowance, replacing it with a taper mechanism instead
-
Giving two weeks of paternity pay to self-employed fathers, who have previously missed out on payments of up to £194 a week for the period
-
And rolling out hundreds of additional Post Office drop boxes to make sending parcels easier
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “We are taking on the big challenges facing the country. But that doesn’t mean losing sight of the everyday problems that cost people money or simply aren’t fair.
“If you’re a nurse driving for work, a parent spending those precious first weeks with your new baby, or an unpaid carer picking up an extra shift, these changes will make life a little easier and put more money back in your pocket.”
But the Conservatives said Burnham’s “everyday fixes” have already been wiped out by higher borrowing costs, taxes and inflation.
Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith said: “Shoppers face rising costs at the till and families are struggling to make ends meet, but Burnham’s plan is cheaper gherkins. This is an insult to families hammered by Labour’s tax rises.”
