Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for an “emergency budget” after a poll revealed the hardship millions of people face amid the cost of living crisis.
The poll by our sister paper the Mirror found 5.3million people already have to choose between heating and eating, with millions more cutting holidays and non-essentials.
Starmer said: “Working people are being hammered, and the worst is about to hit.
“The poll shows just how bad things are already.
“People are working hard but getting less and the Conservatives have put up taxes at the worst possible time.
“The Government’s refusal to act is shameful. We need an emergency budget now to put money back in people’s pockets.”
The Deltapoll survey of more than 1600 adults revealed the cost of living was the biggest issue facing families. Almost 66 per cent put it as their main concern, up from 55 per cent when we asked the same question in January. The economy was second at 27 per cent.
An overwhelming 90 per cent had noticed their own cost of living rise, while 10 per cent, equal to 5.3million, were having to choose between heating or eating.
Overall, 52 per cent face hardship paying their bills: nine per cent already saying they were unable to afford them, while another 12 per cent said they would become swamped within weeks and a further 31 per cent in months.
And there could be more pain, with experts warning average energy bills could jump from an already sky-high £1971 to more than £2500 a year ahead of next winter.
Yet our survey, conducted after this month’s increases, found a £20-a-month rise in energy bills would mean
25 per cent of people would face extreme financial difficulties.
Ofgem is probing whether energy firms have raised direct debits more than necessary, and 70 per cent in our poll thought they had.
Campaigners say a record surge in energy prices for 22 million households from April 1 means the true scale of the crisis is only now being felt. Adam Scorer, of National Energy Action, said: “Energy bills haven’t landed yet, but people are not heating homes, not having a warm bath or shower, not using cookers and washing machines, not letting their kids watch TV.
“Knowing it will only get worse as we head to winter sends a shiver down my spine. You can’t measure this crisis by pounds and pence. Measure it in how it is destroying basic quality of life. When we get to winter we will be measuring it in thousands of lives lost.”
Gillian Cooper, head of energy policy at Citizens Advice, said: “Urgent help is needed for those hit the hardest by rocketing living costs.”
A Government spokeswoman said: “We’re supporting families to navigate the months ahead with a £22billion package of support this financial year.”
More than 50 per cent of those polled said worrying about bills was affecting their mental health.
- Deltapoll interviewed 1610 adults online between April 21 and 23, 2022.
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