More than a third of UK adults would find it difficult or be unable to cover a £20 increase to their monthly outgoings, research suggests.
Polling for Citizens Advice found that 37% of those surveyed would struggle or be unable to do so, with about 25% saying they would find it “somewhat difficult”, 7% “very difficult” and 4% “impossible”. This rises to 58% of people on benefits, 57% of people who have pre-payment meters for their energy, and 47% of people of colour.
The charity said people are being forced to take increasingly desperate measures to get by, such as eating cold meals. It supported a record number of people in December, helping them access emergency grants and referring them to food banks.
