In some of Merseyside's most deprived areas, a large majority of people are cutting back on what food they can buy.
Harrowing new polling shows that for the constituencies of Bootle and Liverpool Walton, six in ten people are having to limit the amount they usually spend on food as the cost of living catastrophe intensifies.
New data from the TUC (Trade's Union Congress) has today revealed that one in seven people in the UK are skipping meals or going hungry. More than two fifths (44%) of Brits are having to cut back on food spending, with the problem more acute in seats like Liverpool Walton and Bootle where six in ten people are affected.
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The poll – carried out for the TUC by Opinium – shows that 1 in 8 people across the North West are having to skip meals or go without food to make ends meet.
Liverpool’s Walton constituency has the highest number of constituents having to skip meals or miss out on food, followed by Bootle.
In wealthier seats like London's Richmond Park, and Chelsea and Fulham, this still hits three in ten residents. More than half (55%) of Brits are already cutting back on heating, hot water or electricity - with Government energy bills help due to be scaled back from April.
TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady warned of "Victorian levels of poverty" if the government resists pay demands and refuses to uprate benefits in line with inflation. She added: "No one should have to worry about putting food on the table or heating their homes. But millions of families are struggling to cover even the basics, and now face huge uncertainty over their energy bills after the Chancellor said support may end in April.
"This polling lays bare Britain’s cost of living emergency."
The poll - published in the same week the government reduced long-term support for energy bills - shows households across Britain are still deeply worried about rising bills. Nearly 6 in 10 (58%) of the North West region’s population are cutting back on heating, hot water or electricity.
Almost 1 in 14 (7%) of those polled report missing payment of a household bill.
TUC Regional Secretary Jay Mckenna said: “This polling lays bare the North West’s cost of living emergency. Food and energy bills are soaring, but real wages are plummeting.
“Unless we get pay rising across the economy – and ensure benefits rise in line with inflation - we risk heading towards Victorian levels of poverty. The Conservatives should be working with unions to help households get through this crisis. But they want to make it harder for working people to win better pay and conditions.”
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