Advertisers, please stop exploiting cost-of-living anxiety
At best, it’s an unhelpful reminder of the financial issues we face. At worst it’s cynically capitalising on our anxieties.
ByCost of Living Crisis
The ‘cost of living’ refers to the price of things around the world and how much money people have to spend on essentials. The ‘cost of living crisis’ refers to the fall in ‘real’ disposable income that the UK has experienced since late 2021, which is making it difficult for people to afford food, fuel and basic household items. This crisis is being caused predominantly by high inflation outstripping increases in wages and benefits, and has been further exacerbated by recent tax and energy price increases. Read more about the cost of living crisis here.
“It’s the children – I have to make sure they are warm”: Why prepayment meter users face a tougher winter
Prepaying for bills means immediate increases in energy costs, as well as higher per unit prices than fixed tariffs.
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On the climate crisis, to delay is to deny
Getting to net zero is not an aspiration – it’s a necessity.
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Food bank parcels have doubled in seven years
The Trussell Trust distributed 2.17 million parcels in the most recent year, up from 1.09 million.
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“The Tories betrayed us”: Britain is ready for a general election
With the cost of living rising and levelling up a forgotten dream, people around the country feel frustrated and let…
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Exclusive: government healthy food scheme has shrunk by £90m in a decade
Healthy Start gives young families and those who are pregnant vitamins and extra money for nutritious food.
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Energy bills could rise to £4,347 from April
The Truss government’s U-turn over the energy price freeze means most households will be paying higher bills in six months’…
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Could the UK face blackouts this winter?
Though Liz Truss has ruled it out, ignoring energy rationing now could increase the prospect of blackouts come winter.
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From the NS archive: The cost of living
23 January 1932: Henry Ford, Detroit and the spending power of factory workers.
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Fuel efficiency gap will cost households hundreds of pounds
Energy costs for older, poorly insulated homes will increase by twice the rate of more efficient ones.
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David Cameron’s “Big Society” is still very much with us
As the UK braces for Liz Truss’s austerity 2.0, charities are still picking up the welfare slack from the first…
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How to wage a class war
On the origins of our economic crisis.
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Warnings of winter blackouts overshadow Liz Truss’s energy price cap
The UK faces a potential series of power cuts in the coming months, yet the cabinet remains divided.
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How Liz Truss’s stealth taxes will squeeze households
For every £1 saved by tax cuts, an extra £2 is set to be lost to tax rises and benefit…
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“People have nowhere to turn”: Britain’s first “warm banks” open their doors
Charities and councils offer refuge for people who cannot afford heating this winter.
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The cost-of-living crisis is pushing disabled people into poverty
Benefits are not keeping up with rising bills.
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The Policy Ask with Clare Moriarty: “Renters have fewer options for lowering energy bills”
The CEO of Citizens Advice on her time as permanent secretary of Defra, the cost-of-living crisis, and William Beveridge.
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Martin Lewis: “It is quite staggering how little politicians know”
The Money Saving Expert opens up about his own attitude to spending, how little politicians know, and being mistaken for…
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The nation’s lungs shouldn’t bear the brunt of skyrocketing bills
For those who suffer with lung conditions, price hikes could bring a public health crisis.
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Some advice for Rishi Sunak as Britain’s new prime minister
As the keys to No 10 are handed over, policy leaders share their thoughts on the biggest issues facing the…
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