The squeeze on households tightened in March as rapidly rising food and fuel prices sent inflation to another 30-year high, even before energy bills spiked.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rose 7% in the year to March, up from 6.2% in February. It was once more the highest point since March 1992, when inflation hit 7.1%.
The rise was higher than the 6.7% analysts had expected and was driven by fuel, restaurant and food prices, dealing an added blow to households - petrol at 160.2p per litre on average in March and diesel at 170.5p, were both at record high prices.
