A charity chief has warned the county's most vulnerable will face difficult decisions this winter, as the chancellor defended his decision not to cut VAT on home energy bills.
But critics said the budget will not help those struggling most, with Norwich South MP Clive Lewis saying on Wednesday that his caseload shows people are "struggling financially".
Others had said it should have been an opportunity for the chancellor to cut VAT on home energy bills, mitigating the rise in prices coming this winter.
Claire Cullens, chief executive of Norfolk Community Foundation, said Norfolk's most vulnerable will struggle with providing food and fuelling their homes this winter.
She said: "There are some very positive commitments around much needed investment in health, education, skills and transport.
"However for our most vulnerable, struggling communities during this winter it is hard to spot any immediate improvement to the household budget and they will be facing difficult choices around food or heating.
"Charities will continue to feel the pressure of filling these gaps in a challenging operational and financial environment."
As part of this we are backing the Norfolk Community Foundation's Surviving Winter Appeal, which raises hundreds of thousands of pounds to help those in need.
Ms Cullens added that many charities had been waiting for news on the Community Renewal Fund, a government pot which aims to help people into employment and invest in communities.
She said: "Many Norfolk charities will be feeling extremely disappointed not to have received any update on the Community Renewal Fund decisions that were expected in July this year... Without certainty, it is very difficult to move from crisis response to strategic planning."
Mr Sunak said it was not a "particularly well-targeted measure" because people "living in very large homes with large energy bills would disproportionately benefit from that".
He said instead, the government wanted to target support for the more vulnerable.
For more on the Surviving Winter Appeal and to donate visit norfolkfoundation.com/giving-and-philanthropy/surviving-winter
There With You This Winter campaign
Thousands across the region could face a struggle to pay their bills, fuel their homes and even feed their families this winter.
That is the stark prediction amid fears a perfect storm of financial pressures will push many into hardship over the forthcoming months.
This newspaper has launched a new hard-hitting campaign to recognise the financial challenges some of our readers face, raise awareness and offer support during the cold winter months.
As part of our campaign, 'There With You This Winter', we hope to stand by our communities, just as we did with a series of campaigns during the coronavirus pandemic.
There are plenty of local organisations and support groups offering advice. We will be profiling these throughout the campaign.
Wider financial support is still available for those who need assistance, through the Norfolk Assistance Scheme - please visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/NAS or call 0344 8008020.
Suffolk Advice and Support Service (SASS) is a free phoneline and is available to support vulnerable people in our communities. The telephone number is freephone 0800 068 3131 and will be staffed from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
Here are some websites worth checking out:
www.moneysupermarket.com/gas-and-electricity/fuel-poverty
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