Cleveland Fire Brigades Union says firefighters are forced to use food banks

Cleveland FBU branch secretary Davy Howe says the national pay offer is a "massive insult"

Firefighters on Teesside are forced to use food banks and take mortgage holidays as the cost of living crisis bites, a union official has warned.

Branch secretary of Cleveland Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Davy Howe said the national pay offer was not enough.

Cleveland Chief Fire Officer Ian Hayton said firefighters and staff deserved a pay rise "significantly higher" than the 2% on the table.

Mr Howe said the proposed rise was a "massive insult" to firefighters.

He said: "You've got firefighters going to food banks and firefighters who can't afford their mortgages - and have had to take holidays from them.

"It's the same as other industries at the moment - their energy bill is going to work out at a third of their monthly income."

Analysts at finance service firm Citi said they expected the October energy price cap to reach an annual cost average of £3,717 - with a further increase in energy bills to come in January.

Their calculate the cap would then hit £4,567 in the new year - pushing inflation towards a new peak of 18%.

The FBU has rejected the national pay offer of a 2% rise

The FBU said work to prepare a national ballot for strike action was continuing.

​Mr Hayton told the Local Democracy Reporting Service firefighters and staff deserved a pay rise "significantly higher" than the 2% proposed and called on the government for financial help.

He said: "While we strongly believe that staff deserve a pay rise significantly higher than that, we are acutely aware that for every 1% increase above what we have budgeted [it] will add around £250,000 a year to the budget that we simply do not have."

The government said it was putting £2.5bn into fire and rescue authorities in 2022-23.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Central government has no role in setting firefighter pay in England, as it is the responsibility of the National Joint Council (NJC) which consists of representatives from both the employers' and employees' side.

"Firefighters work tirelessly to protect our communities and it is essential they are paid fairly for the important work they undertake. At the same time, any decision on pay must be justifiable to the taxpayer."