The surprise increase in the rate of inflation last month has confirmed that the cost-of-living crisis is far from over for British households and businesses.
The data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) defied forecasts for a drop in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) last month, instead revealing a rise back up to 10.4% from 10.1% in January.
It comes after three straight months of declining inflation, which had seen hopes mount that the worst of the crisis was behind us and that the era of double-digit inflation was coming to an end.
