Elaine Yates, 77, can't remember the last time she used her oven to cook a hot meal. Living alone in rural Northamptonshire after being widowed five years ago, the pensioner says she survives on toast and Weetabix, skipping meals to save money. Hers is one of 7.4 million households across the UK now unable to afford essentials such as clothing, heating and food, according to new data from the anti-poverty charity Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).
The figure – a record 62% of low-income families – has risen from 7.1 million a year ago, as the cost-of-living crisis grinds into its fourth year. Almost half of those surveyed had skipped a meal or cut portion sizes to save money, the JRF found.
“Record 7.4m UK households unable to afford essentials, as Andy Burnham vows energy bill relief.”
Elaine, who spent 20 years as a full-time carer for her late husband, says her finances are “extremely tight”. She spends about £50 a week on petrol – more than her food bill – because she needs her car to get around with arthritis. But when she gives lifts to other villagers without transport, she often sits outside shops. “I can’t remember the last time I treated myself,” she says. In winter, she rarely turns on the heating, keeping the thermostat at 13C.
Newly appointed Prime Minister Andy Burnham has promised to set out how he will “give people some breathing space, help with the cost of living”, including cutting VAT on electricity bills from October. The pledge came as Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, warned that older people “worry hugely about the cost of fuel and often ration their heating, putting their health at risk”. Age UK is calling for the Warm Home Discount to be increased and extended to all low-income households.
Zoe Hayden, 35, a single parent from North Oxford, fell into debt after being made redundant from her retail job while on maternity leave. She is now debt-free and completing a plumbing apprenticeship, but says rising costs are still a challenge when feeding a family. The JRF data suggests her experience is far from unique: with millions still struggling to buy basics, the promise of breathing space cannot come soon enough.
