The financial pain hitting UK households has been laid bare today as new figures show inflation has hit a 40-year high.
As a result, how much it costs just to buy essentials is rising at a near-record rate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The consumer prices index (CPI) measure of inflation was 9.4% for June, up from 9.1% in May, the ONS said - the ninth month in a row it has gone up.
