"Very targeted, well-targeted support is important," IMF Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath said at a news conference when asked if Britain's government should provide more support for low income households.

"This should be well-targeted support to highly vulnerable households who are having to face very high cost increases ... That would be useful. These energy costs are going to go up in April further," she added.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal, writing by David Milliken; editing by Michael Holden)