‘Nearly every Briton affected by cost of living crisis’

Almost everyone in the UK is affected by the cost of living crisis with most people cutting back on food, heating and clothing, says a new survey.

According to Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey for i, most people have already started cutting back on heating, food and clothes shopping due to the impact of inflation. 

Asked whether they had been hit by the rising cost of living, 30 per cent said the crisis had affected them significantly with 42 per cent saying it had affected them “a fair amount” and 22 per cent reporting a small impact. Just 6 per cent of those questioned had not seen any effect.

To the questions of what categories of spending they had sought to reduce in order to limit the impact of inflation on their household finances- top of the list were energy bills and groceries, both at 61 per cent, while 53 per cent said they were cutting back on clothes shopping and 55 per cent reducing the number of restaurant or takeaway meals they buy.

Thirty nine per cent have cut back on holidays and and leisure activities while 40 per cent are reducing their usage of the car or public transport in response to sharp increases in the price of fuel.

Sixty two per cent think that both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor bear a large amount of the blame, with large majorities also pointing to the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine as factors.

The country has been facing inflation since past few months. Russian invasion on Ukraine has exacerbated the situation as both the countries are major supplier of main staple ingredients including sunflower oil and wheat, thereby, leading to higher prices.