Anger as cash-strapped families told to work MORE hours or find better paid job by out-of-touch minister Rachel Maclean

A TIN-EARED Tory minister today faced fury for suggesting struggling families work more hours or get a better paid job.

Rachel Maclean sparked a backlash from hard-pressed Brits after doling out her tone-deaf advice to beat the squeeze. 

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She was quickly branded out of touch and "totally clueless" about the harsh realities clobbering households.

Boris Johnson is poised to announce a fresh package of support to help ease the pain of rising prices and bills.

Safeguarding Minister Ms Maclean said the government was focused on tackling the "short term pressures". 

But she added: "Over the long term we need to have a plan to grow the economy and make sure that people are able to protect themselves better - whether that is by taking on more hours or moving to a better paid job and these are long term actions but that's what we're focused on as a government."

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The PM has made it his mission to turn Britain into a "high-skilled, high wage economy."

But angry viewers insisted they were already putting in shifts to make ends meet and let rip at the minister. 

Nathan Wilson sarcastically jibed: "Great! All our fault again... It's always our fault for not having enough money isn't it?"

Another wag joked: "Problem solved. I bet nobody thought of just moving to all these widely available high paying jobs that are just there for the taking."

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One simply raged: "They're taking the p***."

Ms Maclean later hit back and insisted her remarks had been misinterpreted.

In a fiery tweet she rejected suggestions she was offering "short term answers".

She added: "They are not, I did not say this and I clearly set out all the immediate help provided."

Fellow Tory Minister George Eustice stirred outrage earlier this month by suggesting families buy supermarket own-brand foods.

Brits are braced for more pain as energy bills are set to rise once again in October when the price cap is lifted again.

Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley warned today: "The difficult news I have is it is likely, in October, prices will go up again... things are going to get tougher as far as we can see."

Some Tory MPs are agitating for a windfall tax on the eye-watering profits raked in by oil and gas companies this year.

Rishi Sunak is seriously considering the tax-grab despite energy fat cats warning they would slash investment as a result.

Labour say money raised from a windfall tax should be used to bring down bills for ordinary Brits.

Mr Johnson is also understood to be eyeing tax cuts but stopped short of announcing anything at his Cabinet awayday.

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The PM does want to change the law so nursery staff can look after five children at a time, rather than four.

Ministers hope the move will cut the astronomical costs of childcare, the highest in the Western world.