Brits slash spending on essentials as cost of living soars
Brits are tightening the purse strings and cutting back on essentials as the cost of living continues to soar, according to official polling today.
Around 9 in 10 adults said their cost of living had risen over the past month, up from 62 per cent in November 2021, while nearly 50 per cent said that they were buying less food when food shopping, according to polling figures from the Office for National Statistics, released today.
Some 48 per cent of adults reported they had to spend more than usual to get what they normally buy, which the ONS said had jumped from 8 per cen and 18 per cent in September and October 2021, respectively.
The ONS said the consumer were citing the rise in the price of food shopping, gas or electricity bills and the price of fuel as the key areas they were beginning to feel the squeeze.
It come as households battle the most severe cost of living crisis in decades as inflation soars beyond nine percent, according to the latest Consumer Prices Index for May.
Surging fuel prices drove up inflation in May, with a 32.8 per cent in prices over the past year.
Energy costs have also rocketed in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, putting further pressure on households.
The ONS said that around 4 in 10 adults who pay energy bills reported they found it very or somewhat difficult to afford them in the latest period, an increase compared with 37 per cent in the previous period.
Among those who reported they have gas or electricity supplied to their home, six per cent said they were now behind on their bills up from four per cent in the previous period.