According to recent data that show how households are being hit hard by economic pressures, 50% of individuals in the UK said they have purchased less food when shopping.
According to a survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), people have been cutting back on their spending as a result of the growing cost of living, which has left a sizable portion of households struggling to afford food.
A few more adults than in the prior survey—50%—said they were buying less when they went grocery shopping in the two weeks leading up to January 29.
That comes as the annual cost of groceries increased by 16.7% in January, potentially adding £788 to household budgets for those who do not alter their shopping habits, according to experts Kantar.
When their records began in 2008, it was the greatest inflation rate.
British households have suffered as a result of price increases. According to the ONS, about ten percent of individuals said they occasionally or frequently ran out of food and were unable to afford to buy more.
13% of respondents reported that they had skipped or reduced the number of meals in the previous month due to a lack of funds for food. One-fifth of those persons claimed to have done so for longer than two weeks during the month.
The newest wave of the ONS survey, which included a sample of over 3,000 people, provided insight into the prevalence of food insecurity in the UK, which is defined as households lacking access to adequate food for a healthy lifestyle.
More than a quarter of respondents stated they frequently or sporadically lacked the money for a healthy diet.
Despite a government program that gave all homes in England, Scotland, and Wales a £400 discount, people have also been impacted by increased electricity costs.
The ONS revealed earlier this month that the price of gas increased by 129% in the year to January.
Because of this, about a fifth of individuals who participated in the most recent two polls said they had occasionally, never, or never been able to maintain a comfortable body temperature in the previous two weeks.
A third of adults say that cost-of-living hikes have had a detrimental influence on their mental health, demonstrating how the pressures have had an impact on people’s health and wellness.
A collection of organizations discovered earlier this month that about a quarter of households routinely lack the funds for necessities and that more than two-thirds do not think the government is doing enough to help.
The campaign Together Through The Crisis urged the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to take steps to prevent the crisis from becoming the UK’s “new normal.”
