case study cost of living

Surviving the Cost of Living Crisis: Case Studies

Last Updated on June 14, 2024 by Karl Thompson

Qualitative case studies of how real people are managing the Cost of Living Crisis is a useful way to provide insight into the reality of poverty in the UK in 2022, adding some necessary depth to poverty statistics which can be rather inhuman.

A very useful contemporary resource which does just this is a recent documentary from Panorama which aired in April 2022 and is called simply ‘ Surviving the Cost of Living Crisis ‘.

The documentary follows three working families – two two parent families and one single mum. All the individuals in the documentary have decent jobs and some even bring in the median income in the UK but all are living in relative poverty and having to make difficult decisions around how to spend their money.

One family earns £2000 a month, but after the mortgage, bills and food they are left with £63 a month to spend – which would just about cover a meal out for the family. The father of this family has a 75 mile round trip to work every day and they have found rising fuel prices recently have taken up a lot of their spare cash.

Another of the case studies is a single mum who works part time as a nurse – she can’t work more than three days because she can’t afford the cost of child care – and besides being employed she is dependent on food banks and hand-outs from friends. After her mortgage she is left with £80 a week fork food and everything else for her and her three children.

The documentary shows the dilemma of ‘heating or eating’ with some families having to stretch a few pounds on an electric or gas metre out for several days – expensive key metres don’t help here.

The documentary does a good job of showing how much stress being in poverty causes is also clearly a good deal of anxiety around future price rises and how they are going to cope.

Find our More/ Related Posts

Wealth and Income Inequalities in the UK

The Effect of Poverty on Life Chances

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Ruth Patrick , senior lecturer 1 ,
Katie Pybus , lecturer in Mental Health 2
1 Department of Social Policy & Social Work, University of York
2 University of York

Food and energy prices are already on the rise and look set to increase further, pushing up the essential costs of living. Ruth Patrick and Katie Pybus discuss the impact of poverty on health

Rising prices. Tax increases. Energy price hikes. Social security cuts. Stagnating wages. Together, it makes for an incredibly difficult environment, especially for families already struggling to get by. The start of 2022 has rightly seen much attention on the cost of living crisis, which will place real and sustained budgetary pressures on millions of households.

There is never a good time for a crisis, but this one feels almost cruelly ill timed, coming as it does when the nation continues to feel the economic, social, and political impacts of the covid-19 pandemic. In times of crisis, there is an especially important role for social security systems, which can provide protection from poverty, even out income shocks, and—importantly—provide a degree of security , in an uncertain time.

Sadly, however, our social security system is currently unfit for purpose. 1 This was clear even before the pandemic began, with successive cuts to support and the failure to increase benefits in line with inflation, leaving inadequate benefit levels that regularly fail to meet essential needs. 2

Through the Covid Realities research programme, we have documented the human cost of poverty, and the negative impacts that flow from a social security system that demands that households somehow manage on inadequate incomes. 3 This shows how aspects of the benefits system—the five-week wait for a first Universal Credit payment, high levels of debt deductions, restrictions on benefit entitlement (the Benefit Cap and two-child limit)—are poverty producing, perversely doing the very opposite of what a social security system should.

As families struggle to get by, this almost inevitably negatively impacts on people’s mental health and there is growing evidence of links between the social security system and mental ill-health. 4 5 Many Covid Realities participants describe their poverty, and social security receipt, as causing them anxiety, stress, and low mood. As prices rise yet further, millions of families are simply beyond breaking point: they do not have anywhere or anything left to cut.

After the Government’s refusal to provide adequate support to families on a low income in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, there are rightly fears for how families will manage. Families living on a low income have struggled to navigate the pandemic, and now face a punishing round of budgetary pressures, which come on top of the recent ending of the £20 uplift to Universal Credit and the failure to uprate benefits in line with current rates of inflation. The collision of immediate hardship and the fear and threat of even more hardship to come adds to existing stress, with potential for short and longer term negative health impacts.

As prices rise yet further, millions of families are simply beyond breaking point: they do not have anywhere or anything left to cut.

Even before the pandemic, concerns had been raised by mental healthcare providers that changes to the benefits system, as well as wider deprivation, were contributing to increased demand on services, a situation that seems only likely to worsen unless we act to properly support families now, and in the future. 6

Yet, at a time when there is an opportunity to tackle (and perhaps even prevent) entrenched links between mental ill health and poverty by improving support for families, policy makers have instead recently responded with an intensification of benefit sanctions, themselves harmful to mental health, on top of the cuts already in place. 7

What we need instead is urgent intervention to shore up our beleaguered social security system, increasing levels of support, and stripping away the design features that do the opposite of what they should. The social security system is failing us all of the time (not just in these times of national crisis), and investment in it is long overdue.

Until that happens, families will continue to struggle. We can and must do better.

Competing interests: none declared

Provenance and peer review: not commissioned, not peer reviewed.

The Covid Realities research programme has been funded by the Nuffield Foundation, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the Foundation.

↵ UK Poverty 2022: The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/uk-poverty-2022
↵ Covid realities. https://covidrealities.org/
↵ How do I make something out of nothing?”: Universal Credit, precarity & mental health May 2021. https://covidrealities.org/learnings/write-ups/universal-credit-precarity-and-mental-health
Wickham S ,
Bentley L ,
Whitehead M ,
Taylor-Robinson D ,
↵ Joseph Rowntree Foundation. 600 000 will be pulled into poverty as a result of Chancellor's inaction https://www.jrf.org.uk/press/600000-will-be-pulled-poverty-result-chancellors-inaction
↵ Providers NHS. Mental health services. Key points. https://nhsproviders.org/mental-health-services-addressing-the-care-deficit/key-points
Welfare Conditionality

Hard times: How the cost-of-living crisis is affecting the workplace

Charles Cotton, CIPD's Senior Policy Adviser on performance and reward, analyses how the increased cost of living is affecting employees using this year’s UK Working Lives survey data from the CIPD

Against the backdrop of the UK’s worst cost-of-living crisis in decades, with the annual rate of CPI inflation increasing by 10.4% in February 2023, CIPD research finds that fewer employees are finding it easy to pay their bil l s.

In w inter 2022 , 1 a YouGov survey commissioned by the CIPD found 61% of workers said they were keeping up with all their bills and credit commitments without any difficulties . H owever, by w inter 2023 , 2 this proportion had fallen to 48% .

O ver the same period , the proportion of staff who reported they were keeping up with all their bills and commitments, but it was a struggle from time to time , had risen from 26% to 33% , w hile the percentage who said that they were keeping up with all their bills and commitments, but it is a constant struggle , had grown from 8% to 12%.

O nly 42% of female employees now say that they are keeping up with their bills and financial commitment without any difficulties. Similarly, only 34% of those earning less than £20,000 and 45% of those earning between £20,000 and £39,999 are also able to say the same.

While in winter 2022, 48% of those staff disclosing a disability reported that they were keeping on top of their bills, by w inter 2023, this figure had slumped to 33%.

Table 1: Percentage of employees reporting that they are keeping up with their bills and credit commitments without any difficulties at the moment, by gender


	All	Male	Female
Winter 2022	61%	65%	56%
Winter 2023	48%	53%	42%

Table 2: Percentage of employees reporting that they are keeping up with their bills and credit commitments without any difficulties at the moment, by annual pay


	Below £20 000	£20 000 to £39 999	£40 000 to £59 999	£60 000 and over
Winter 2022	44%	59%	73%	79%
Winter 2023	34%	45%	60%	74%

Table 3: Percentage of employees reporting that they are keeping up with their bills and credit commitments without any difficulties at the moment, by sector


	Private sector	Public sector	Voluntary sector
Winter 2022	62%	57%	64%
Winter 2023	48%	47%	49%

P ay becoming inadequate

In addition , between winter 2022 and 2023 , our research found that the proportion of employees reporting that their pay was enough to :

support an acceptable standard of living, without having to go into debt to pay for food and bills, has fallen from 76% to 60% ;

cope with a sudden financial emergency costing £300 (without having to use any savings) has dropped from 63% to 49% ; and

help them save for their retirement ha s declined from 47% to 30%.

The data also shows that the percentage of workers saying that their employer was doing enough to support their financial wellbeing ha s dipped from 36% to 31% over this period .

Again, female workers are now in a less positive situation than male staff. For example, while 64 % of men said that their pay was enough to cope with a sudden financial emergency costing £300, without having to resort to savings, just 56 % of women could say the same. Similarly, while 37% of male staff said that their pay was enough to help them save for their retirement , just 23% of female workers also said this .

In addition , few of those earning less than £20,000 are now in a good financial situation with only :

39% able to say that their pay was enough to support an acceptable standard of living ;

26% able to report that their pay was enough to cope with a sudden financial emergency of £300, and

15% able to state their pay was enough to help them save for retirement .

Table 4: Percentage of employees reporting that their pay was enough to support an acceptable standard of living, without having to go into debt to pay for food and bills, by gender


	All	Male	Female
Winter 2022	76%	80%	71%
Winter 2023	60%	64%	56%

Table 5: Percentage of employees reporting that their pay was enough to support an acceptable standard of living, without having to go into debt to pay for food and bills, by annual pay


	Below £20 000	£20 000 to £39 999	£40 000 to £59 999	£60 000 and over
Winter 2022	56%	76%	91%	92%
Winter 2023	39%	61%	78%	87%

Table 6: Percentage of employees reporting that their pay was enough to support an acceptable standard of living, without having to go into debt to pay for food and bills, by sector


	Private sector	Public sector	Voluntary sector
Winter 2022	77%	72%	79%
Winter 2023	61%	56%	65%

Table 7: Percentage of employees reporting that their pay was enough to cope with a sudden financial emergency costing £300, by gender


	All	Male	Female
Winter 2022	63%	71%	54%
Winter 2023	49%	58%	40%

Table 8: Percentage of employees reporting that their pay was enough to cope with a sudden financial emergency costing £300, by annual pay


	Below £20 000	£20 000 to £39 999	£40 000 to £59 999	£60 000 and over
Winter 2022	34%	60%	84%	88%
Winter 2023	26%	47%	71%	86%

Table 9: Percentage of employees reporting that their pay was enough to cope with a sudden financial emergency costing £300, by sector


	Private sector	Public sector	Voluntary sector
Winter 2022	64%	61%	63%
Winter 2023	50%	47%	49%

Table 10: Percentage of employees reporting that their pay was enough to help them save for their retirement, by gender


	All	Male	Female
Winter 2022	47%	55%	38%
Winter 2023	30%	37%	23%

Table 11: Percentage of employees reporting that their pay was enough to help them save for their retirement, by annual pay


	Below £20 000	£20 000 to £39 999	£40 000 to £59 999	£60 000 and over
Winter 2022	21%	41%	65%	77%
Winter 2023	15%	28%	46%	63%

Table 12: Percentage of employees reporting that their pay was enough to help them save for their retirement, by sector


	Private sector	Public sector	Voluntary sector
Winter 2022	47%	48%	43%
Winter 2023	30%	33%	30%

Impact of financial stress

Unsurprisingly, since winter 2022, the proportion of employees who repor t that money worries ha ve affected their ability to do their job , ha s increased from 28% to 33%.

Overall, middle earners have been more likely to have been hit, with the proportion of those earning between £20,000 and £39,000 saying that money worries have impacted their work , rising from 31% to 35% , while the corresponding proportion for those earning between £40,000 and £59,000 increased from 23% to 28%.

These money worries are manifeste d in a n increase in the percentage s of the staff report ing health problems (such as stress or anxiety) from 12% to 17% and finding it hard to concentrate at work from 11% to 14%.

How HR teams can support employees

Thankfully, the rate at which prices are accelerating is predicted to fall . T he UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility predicts that by the end of this year, CPI inflation will ris e by 2.9 %.

However, while the increase in the cost of living is set to decline, most goods and services are still going to cost workers more than they did last year. And it’s not just employees who are fac ing higher prices, so are their employers, which limit s the financial support they can offer their staff .

Nevertheless, the CIPD is still encouraging HR teams to help their organisations review what they can do to support financial wellbeing in the workplace and how they can do it.

A lso, we recognise that for some employers, certain interventions, such as creating training and development opportunities for workers on lower incomes , will take time to implement. In such instances, there are still things that can be done to improve the financial wellbeing of staff relatively quickly .

These can include : signposting employees to sources of reliable and impartial financial information and guidance ; tackling workplace stigma around talking about money problems ; offering flexible working opportunities, which c an help reduce costs for those with caring responsibilities ; or issuing warnings of financial scams . More ideas can be found at our cost-of-living crisis hub , which is updated on a regular basis.

Another possible initiative is helping staff save money for a ‘rainy day ’ . Our research highlights that many workers would find it difficult if they suddenly had to deal with an unexpected bill for £300. See how one employer , Suez , that has done this .

Overall, the CIPD believe s all workplaces, regardless of size or sector, should have a financial wellbeing policy in place with three core elements: payment of a fair and liveable wage; support for in-work progression; and financial wellbeing support. To help people professionals , we have updated our guidance on employee financial wellbeing .

However, we recognise that n ot everything can be done in one go, so HR teams need to review their employer’s situation and decide where investment can make the biggest impact . We also recognise that employers can’t do everything and that other actors, especially the UK G overnment, have an important role in reducing the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

1 Our winter 2022 survey was carried out by YouGov and ran from 22 December 2021–15 January 2022.

2 This year’s survey results come from our UK Working Lives survey, which ran from 12 December 2022–9 February 2023.

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About the author

Charles Cotton, Senior Performance and Reward Adviser, CIPD

Charles has recently led research into the business case for pensions, how front line managers make and communicate reward decisions, and managing reward risks, as well as the creation of a good practice guide on the annual pay review process. He is also responsible for the CIPD’s public policy work in the area of reward and is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD.

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The public health implications of the cost-of-living crisis: outlining mechanisms and modelling consequences

Affiliations.

1 MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.
2 School of Social & Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.
3 Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, United Kingdom.
4 Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom.
PMID: 37035237
PMCID: PMC10068020
DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100585

The UK, and other high-income countries, are experiencing substantial increases in living costs. Several overlapping and intersecting economic crises threaten physical and mental health in the immediate and longer term. Policy responses may buffer against the worst effects (e.g. welfare support) or further undermine health (e.g. austerity). We explore fundamental causes underpinning the cost-of-living crisis, examine potential pathways by which the crisis could impact population health and use a case study to model potential impacts of one aspect of the crisis on a specific health outcome. Our modelling illustrates how policy approaches can substantially protect health and avoid exacerbating health inequalities. Targeting support at vulnerable households is likely to protect health most effectively. The current crisis is likely to be the first of many in era of political and climate uncertainty. More refined integrated economic and health modelling has the potential to inform policy integration, or 'health in all policies'.

Keywords: Cost of living; Energy crisis; Health policy; Inequalities; Mental health.

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Conflict of interest statement

PB, RT, DK and SVK acknowledge funding from the 10.13039/501100000265Medical Research Council (MC_UU_00022/2) and 10.13039/100012095Scottish Government 10.13039/501100000589Chief Scientist Office (SPHSU17 and SPHSU20). RT is funded by the 10.13039/100010269Wellcome Trust (218105/Z/19/Z). DK and SVK are funded by the 10.13039/501100000781European Research Council (949582). SVK additionally acknowledges funding from a 10.13039/100003186NRS Senior Clinical Fellowship (SCAF/15/02). SVK is a Public Health Champion for Understanding Society. PM acknowledges funding from the 10.13039/501100000265Medical Research Council (MC_UU_00022/5 and MR/S037578/2) and 10.13039/100012095Scottish Government 10.13039/501100000589Chief Scientist Office (SPHSU20). GM acknowledges consultancy fees from the 10.13039/100004423World Health Organization. The authors declare no other competing interests.

The cost-of-living crisis is also a health crisis. The Lancet Regional Health-Europe. The Lancet Regional Health-Europe. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2023 Apr 3;27:100632. doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100632. eCollection 2023 Apr. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2023. PMID: 37069853 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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Cost-of-living crisis: the impact on mark’s life.

Our cost-of-living case studies look at the real-world impact on people. They’re designed to highlight the decisions that rising prices are forcing people to make. Everyone’s situation is unique and everyone is affected by financial shocks in different ways. We’re trying to bring those ways to life.

Mark, 25, works in the charity sector and lives with friends in London. A politics graduate, Mark spent several months on Universal Credit earlier this year while in-between jobs. During this time he cut back on everything, including the length of the showers he took in his flatshare.

“I got into the system roundabout when the £20 uplift was scrapped, and when fuel poverty campaigns were hitting the headlines again,” he says. “We got a tracker for our water and electricity in our flat, and kept an eye on things like shower times, and our heating.

“Now I notice a world of difference being in full-time employment again, but it was very, very difficult.”

Even now Mark has a permanent job, almost all of his earnings go “towards shouldering the cost-of-living crisis” and paying off student loans.

He is often concerned about money as a result.

“Rent prices are up, and wages haven’t gone up at that rate. It’s still very difficult now that I’m in full-time work. I’m on an entry-level salary, and you find yourself not able to save up. The vast majority of your earnings, and then some, goes towards shouldering the cost-of-living crisis.

“In my case, as it is the case with a lot of my peers, there is that immediate worry and daily anxiety of paying bills, paying for rent and other costs of life.”

Mark is unable to save and is worried about his financial future.

He knows he will have to consider moving away from London due to lack of funds.

“You obviously have this long term anxiety,” he says. “There is a cost-of-living crisis, and the housing crisis. It feels quite similar to climate anxiety for me and my generation – a feeling of impending doom.

“It leaves you thinking 1) should I leave the UK full stop, given the depth of the crisis compared to other countries and the added uncertainty of Brexit? And 2) leaving the cities. London is expensive, and even Manchester isn’t that cheap these days.”

The charity worker, who would be interested in an EWA scheme if offered one, believes employers can do more to create an environment where staff feel safe to raise concerns over both pay and their wider financial worries.

“Employers should be open to employees’ needs and try to be present, whether that’s having regular meetings where concerns on pay, or on management, can be voiced,” he says. “It’s really hard to combat something so structural and ongoing when you can’t even talk about it, when it’s almost taboo or considered a bit strange to talk about pay or struggling. It’s really challenging, so any work that tries to bridge that gap between people’s experiences and actually talking about them is valuable. If an employer can facilitate that happening, it’s brilliant.”

How can you help employees that are struggling with prices going up rapidly? Check out out post on four ways to support your staff through the cost-of-living crisis .

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Inflation and the cost of living: Are consumers spending less?

Inflation is running red-hot—largely fueled by the ongoing supply chain crisis and the Russia-Ukraine conflict , which are in turn increasing food prices and energy prices . In the U.K., inflation recently hit double digits for the first time in 40 years, and is expected to climb to around 15% in 2023. Similarly in the U.S., inflation peaked at 9.1% in 2022, marking another 40-year high. This is squeezing household budgets, affecting consumer confidence and driving up the cost of living.

Will the cost of living increase further?

The price of many consumer staples is expected to increase even further in the coming months. J.P. Morgan Research expects the global Consumer Price Index (CPI)—which measures the change in prices consumers pay for goods and services—to rise again in the third quarter of 2022 (3Q 2022), reaching around 7.5% in the second half of 2022 (2H 2022). This is up from around 6.6% in the first half of 2022 (1H 2022), in part due to rising raw material costs.

“Even though spot prices have plateaued, input cost inflation will remain a key headwind until at least the first half of 2023 (1H 2023). As such, prices will rise further in 2H 2022 as corporates seek to offset some of these costs,” said Celine Pannuti, Head of Consumer Staples Equity Research at J.P. Morgan. Looking ahead, prices are expected to begin normalizing in 2023 as the effects of cost inflation ebb.

Even though spot prices have plateaued, input cost inflation will remain a key headwind until at least 1H 2023. As such, prices will rise further in 2H 2022 as corporates seek to offset some of these costs.

Celine Pannuti

Head of European Staples & Beverages, J.P. Morgan

How will inflation impact consumer confidence and spending?

Consumers are feeling the pinch, and many are rethinking their buying behaviors as a result—by cutting back on their overall expenditure, reducing spend on non-essential items and switching from premium products to lower-priced own-brand items.

1. Rising inflation means consumers will buy less overall

Many consumers are tightening their purse strings in response to the rising cost of living. According to data analytics firm Kantar, 47% of U.K. consumers have made or are expecting to make cutbacks in their general expenditure due to inflation. In the same vein, research by intelligence company Morning Consult shows that 56% of U.S. consumers are willing to shop less overall. Shoppers are prioritizing staples over discretionary goods and big-ticket items—some 75% said they will delay the purchase of an electronic device, while only 36% said they will buy fewer groceries. “When it comes to basic staples, demand has been quite resilient,” said Pannuti.

Even so, sales of household essentials are declining, with volume growth at major fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies taking a hit. Data from market researcher NielsenIQ shows that sales volumes at U.K. supermarkets plunged in July this year by -9.4% for meat, fish and poultry, -8.1% for household items and -6.4% for packaged groceries.

Despite this, companies have reported healthy 2Q earnings, largely bolstered by price hikes. “Corporates are starting to see slowing volumes, but when you factor in price rises of 10% or more, the overall impact on revenue is limited. The positive tailwinds of cost inflation are helping earnings,” said Pannuti. A case in point is Unilever. While the consumer goods conglomerate posted an underlying sales growth of 8.1% for the first half of 2022, this was driven by an increase of 9.8% in prices—volume sales actually decreased by 1.6%.

European food/home and personal care: price vs. volume

In the European food and HPC (home and personal care) sectors, pricing has been the main driver of topline growth since the third quarter of 2021 (3Q 2021). Volume sales are expected to decline in the third and fourth quarters of 2022 (3Q and 4Q 2022).

2. Due to higher inflation, consumers will trade down to own-label goods

Cash-strapped consumers are also trading down to own- or private-label goods—products sold under a retailer’s name, typically at a lower price than their branded counterparts—as a consequence of inflation. Around 40% of European consumers have tried a private-label brand this year, according to management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. This brand-switching behavior is particularly evident for staples such as household products (31%), snacks and confectionery (27%), frozen foods (29%) and dairy and eggs (26%).

Correspondingly, supermarkets across the globe are seeing increased consumer interest in private labels. Kantar notes that in the U.K., sales of own-label lines are climbing, especially for budget ranges such as Asda Smart Price and Co-op Honest Value, which both surged by a whopping 12%. On the other hand, sales of mainstream brands fell 1% over the same period. In the U.S., Walmart’s private brand penetration is increasing, with the growth rate in food categories doubling in 2Q 2022 versus 1Q 2022.

“Private labels broadly lost market share over 2020 and 2021, as big brands were beneficiaries of stronger supply chains and consumer demand for trusted brands. However, this has, to varying extents, gone into reverse during 2022 as the cost-of-living squeeze on consumers intensifies,” said Pannuti. “Now, private labels are staging a recovery after two years of market share losses.”

Private-label shares in Europe have started to exceed pre-pandemic levels, with sharp gains in the food sector—particularly for ice creams, yogurts and soups, J.P. Morgan estimates show. While they remain broadly below pre-COVID levels in the U.S., we see gains in 29 out of 47 key categories, including hygiene (paper towels and toilet tissue), bottled waters and baby food. Clearly, consumers are seeking more affordable alternatives to everyday essentials—a behavior that looks set to persist during these inflationary times.

Europe private-label shares in the food, personal care and household sectors

Europe private-label shares have broadly risen since February 2021, with sharp gains in the food sector.

U.S. private-label shares in the personal care, consumer health, hygiene, household and food sectors

U.S. private-label shares still remain below pre-pandemic levels, though they have been gaining since February 2022.

Inflation reduction ... Or not?

In August 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 into law. As the name suggests, the bill aims to combat the rising cost of living through several measures, including:

Reducing healthcare costs : Expanding health insurance subsidies and cutting prescription drug prices for Medicare recipients
Incentivizing clean energy: Offering tax credits and rebates to consumers who wish to purchase electric vehicles or make energy-efficient upgrades to their home

However, as the bill does not address the key drivers of the cost-of-living crisis—namely, soaring food prices and energy prices —its impact on inflation will likely be negligible. “We believe the drug pricing provisions will have little near-term impact on the CPI,” explained Michael Feroli, Chief U.S. Economist at J.P. Morgan. “And if there are longer-run beneficial effects for the supply-side of the economy, that’s a growth issue, not an inflation issue. In the long run, inflation is determined by Fed policy.”

3. The effects of inflation on cost of living will be uneven across regions

J.P. Morgan Research expects Europe to be the epicenter of the cost-of-living squeeze as it is highly exposed to geopolitical tensions and accelerating inflation. “While Europe has held up quite well on the whole, the backdrop for the region gets even tougher in 2H 2022, when further pressures on consumer budgets are expected due to increased energy costs, and when the tailwinds from reopening start to fade,” said Pannuti. As such, consumers in this region may feel most compelled to trade down to cheaper alternatives.

In contrast, consumers in the Americas are likely to fare better. “To date, the U.S. has been the most resilient market through the pandemic and the period of rising inflation. Latin America has been the most dynamic region, with strong pricing and resilient volumes,” added Pannuti.

In Southeast Asia, the picture is fairly mixed, with some markets such as Vietnam seeing greater improvement in consumer confidence than other places such as Thailand, where government support packages are abating. “On the whole, growth in Southeast Asia has improved against two years of lower activity,” said Pannuti.

Consumer confidence is generally stronger in emerging markets, which are still rebounding from the COVID-induced slowdown. “For consumers in many of these markets, inflation is part of their day-to-day. They’re used to dealing with the effects of inflation,” said Pannuti.

Overall, despite these uneven impacts, inflation remains very much a pertinent issue across the globe. It will continue to impact the cost of living, shaping consumer confidence and spending habits in the months to come.

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Inflation and Cost of Living

When the Going Gets Expensive

How Inflation Affects Housing

The Bottom Line

How inflation affects your cost of living.

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Inflation vs. Stagflation: What's the difference?
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How Inflation Affects Your Cost of Living CURRENT ARTICLE
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Inflation and Economic Recovery
Hyperinflation
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Stagflation
Purchasing Power
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
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Inflation-Adjusted Return
Inflation Targeting
Real Economic Growth Rate
Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Real Income
Real Interest Rate
Real Rate of Return
Wage-Price Spiral

Up until very recently, inflation wasn't talked about much, and for good reason. In 2019, the overall annual rate of inflation in the U.S. was running at 1.8% according to the World Bank (CPI). In 2020, the rate was 1.2%.

In the summer of 2021, however, inflation began to rear its ugly head once again, with U.S. consumer prices recording their largest annualized increases in more than 13 years. From there, inflation continued to surge. Overall inflation in 2021 was 4.7% and it reached a peak of 9.1% in June 2022.

Since then, the inflation rate has gradually come down but it still remains high. For the 12 months that ended in September 2023, the annualized inflation rate in the U.S. stood at 3.7%.

Still, we've been through worse inflationary times. There's talk about inflation and cost of living increases, but what do these terms really mean? And most important, how do they affect your daily life?

Key Takeaways

Inflation measures the increase in the price of goods and services. Or, the decrease in the buying power of the dollar.
Cost of living measures the change in price, up or down, of the basic necessities of life like food, housing, and healthcare.
Housing prices are affected by many factors but one of the biggest of them is the cost of borrowing.

Investopedia / Ellen Lindner

The Difference Between Inflation and Cost of Living

People often use the phrases inflation and cost of living as if they were synonymous. They are not, although they're closely related.

Inflation is the big picture. As the cost of goods and services rises, the buying power of the dollar falls. The inflation rate is often measured by the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a monthly measure by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) that averages the cost of a standard basket of goods and services from areas around the country. It reports the result as a percentage rise or drop in CPI.
Cost of living has a different focus. This number represents the average cost of an accepted standard of living including food, housing, transportation, taxes, and healthcare. The figure for the cost of living is frequently used to compare the minimum income needed to live in various locations. According to Payscale's calculator, as of Oct. 14, 2023, the cost of living in New York City is 128% higher than the national average. As a comparison, the cost of living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina is 2% higher than the national average.

Cost of living is a far more difficult number to pin down than inflation. It varies widely not only by region but by demographic group. Whether your own cost of living goes up or down depends on how you live and where you live .

The amount that Social Security recipients receive is adjusted annually based on the cost of living. The increase for 2023 was 8.7%. The increase for 2024 is 3.2%.

Most people feel the effects of cost-of-living increases in their daily lives. But rising prices hit the middle class hard, and the lower-paid harder.

Higher food, gasoline, and utility costs mean less money for savings and less for discretionary spending. To compensate, consumers buy less, switch to cheaper substitutes, look harder for bargains, or put off major purchases.

The annualized inflation rate in the U.S. for the 12 months ending September 2023.

The Paycheck Factor

An increase in the cost of living is irrelevant only if your paycheck is growing at a similar rate. After a painful lag, the paychecks of full-time workers appear to be catching up with the rate of inflation, and even surpassing it a bit.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median weekly earnings for full-time wage earners was $1,118 in the third quarter of 2023. That's an increase of 4.5% from a year earlier compared to the 3.5% increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the same period.

How Inflation Affects the Housing Market

You would assume that higher inflation means higher prices for real estate, and that is often the case, at least at the start of a significant spike in inflation. But then things can get complicated.

To keep inflation rates under control, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) often steps in and raises the federal funds rate , which is the interest rate charged to banks that use the Federal Reserve Bank as a source of short-term loans. This has a domino effect on every other loan rate, including the rates for home mortgages.

As the cost of home loans goes up, many consumers are squeezed out of the market, leading to a slowdown in home sales. With homes on the market for longer periods, sellers drop their asking price to attract buyers.

Lower interest rates helped the U.S. housing market make its recovery after the gut punch of the 2007-2008 financial crisis and then again during the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher interest rates have the opposite effect, reducing demand for loans in order to cool down inflation.

What Is the Relationship Between Inflation and the Cost of Living?

Inflation is the increase in the average price of a basket of goods. It reduces the purchasing power of consumers, meaning that a unit of currency buys less than it did before inflation.

The cost of living measures the average cost of the accepted standard of living in a specific area.

Inflation increases the cost of living.

What Are the 3 Causes of Inflation?

The three causes of inflation are demand-pull (when the demand for goods and services is greater than the supply, putting upward pressure on prices), cost-push (when the total supply of goods and services that can be produced falls), and built-in inflation, also known as inflation expectations.

That last factor is the pressure on wages that is created when workers believe that inflation will continue and demand higher wages to maintain their cost of living. Higher wages mean higher costs, which are passed onto consumers as price increases.

Why Has Inflation Been Slowing?

In 2023, inflation slowed while not disappearing altogether. The most obvious reason is a series of interest rate increases imposed by the Federal Reserve as a deliberate tactic to defeat inflation.

However, that is not the only reason. Another big factor is the normalization of the global economy after the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Supply chain disruptions caused delivery delays and shortages around the world. Production shutdowns and labor shortages added to the disruption. Costs rose throughout 2021 and rose more in 2022.

Inflation and cost of living are related metrics but not identical. While inflation measures the average increase in prices of a basket of goods, cost of living looks at the expense of a certain standard of living, which can change by location.

Increases in inflation increase the overall cost of living and if wages are not increasing to match the increase in the cost of goods and services, the value of a consumer's dollar will decrease.

The World Bank. " Inflation, Consumer Prices (Annual %) - United States ."

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Consumer Price Index-June 2021 ," Page 1.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Consumer Prices Up 9.1 Percent Over the Year Ended June 2022, Largest Increase in 40 Years ."

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Consumer Price Index – September 2023 ," Page 1.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Consumer Price Index: Home ."

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Consumer Price Index Frequently Asked Questions ," Select "What goods and services does the CPI cover?"

Payscale. " Cost of Living Chapel Hill, North Carolina ."

Payscale. " Cost of Living in New York, New York ."

Congressional Research Service. " Introduction to U.S. Economy: Inflation ," Pages 1-2.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers Third Quarter 2023 ," Page 1.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. " About the FOMC ."

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. " FAQs: What Is Inflation and How Does the Federal Reserve Evaluate Changes in the Rate of Inflation? "

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED. " Federal Funds Effective Rate ."

World Economic Forum. " An Expert Explains: How COVID-19 Exposed the Fragility of Global Supply Chains ."

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Consumer Price Index: 2022 in Review ."

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Published: 22 February 2024

The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on population health in the UK: rapid evidence review

Jade Meadows 1 ,
Miranda Montano 2 ,
Abdelrahman J. K. Alfar 1 , 3 ,
Ömer Yetkin Başkan 1 ,
Caroline De Brún 4 ,
Jennifer Hill 4 ,
Rachael McClatchey 5 , 6 ,
Nevila Kallfa 1 &
Gwen Sascha Fernandes 1 , 7

BMC Public Health volume 24 , Article number: 561 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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In the UK, unique and unforeseen factors, including COVID-19, Brexit, and Ukraine-Russia war, have resulted in an unprecedented cost of living crisis, creating a second health emergency. We present, one of the first rapid reviews with the aim of examining the impact of this current crisis, at a population level. We reviewed published literature, as well as grey literature, examining a broad range of physical and mental impacts on health in the short, mid, and long term, identifying those most at risk, impacts on system partners, including emergency services and the third sector, as well as mitigation strategies.

We conducted a rapid review by searching PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and HMIC (2020 to 2023). We searched for grey literature on Google and hand-searched the reports of relevant public health organisations. We included interventional and observational studies that reported outcomes of interventions aimed at mitigating against the impacts of cost of living at a population level.

We found that the strongest evidence was for the impact of cold and mouldy homes on respiratory-related infections and respiratory conditions. Those at an increased risk were young children (0–4 years), the elderly (aged 75 and over), as well as those already vulnerable, including those with long-term multimorbidity. Further short-term impacts include an increased risk of physical pain including musculoskeletal and chest pain, and increased risk of enteric infections and malnutrition. In the mid-term, we could see increases in hypertension, transient ischaemic attacks, and myocardial infarctions, and respiratory illnesses. In the long term we could see an increase in mortality and morbidity rates from respiratory and cardiovascular disease, as well as increase rates of suicide and self-harm and infectious disease outcomes. Changes in behaviour are likely particularly around changes in food buying patterns and the ability to heat a home. System partners are also impacted, with voluntary sectors seeing fewer volunteers, an increase in petty crime and theft, alternative heating appliances causing fires, and an increase in burns and burn-related admissions. To mitigate against these impacts, support should be provided, to the most vulnerable, to help increase disposable income, reduce energy bills, and encourage home improvements linked with energy efficiency. Stronger links to bridge voluntary, community, charity and faith groups are needed to help provide additional aid and support.

Although the CoL crisis affects the entire population, the impacts are exacerbated in those that are most vulnerable, particularly young children, single parents, multigenerational families. More can be done at a community and societal level to support the most vulnerable, and those living with long-term multimorbidity. This review consolidates the current evidence on the impacts of the cost of living crisis and may enable decision makers to target limited resources more effectively.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

In the UK, the COVID -19 pandemic and subsequent unforeseen geopolitical factors (e.g., Brexit & Ukraine-Russia War) resulted in a severe economic downturn with gross domestic product (GDP) decreasing by 11.0% in 2020, the sharpest drop since records began and unprecedented in modern times (Fig. 1 , panel a). Since March 2020, whilst GDP has increased , it has remained below 2020 pre-pandemic levels through to July 2022, accompanied by rising inflation rates due to endogenous and exogenous shocks (Fig. 1 , panel b) [ 1 ]. Internal shocks include supply chain challenges or labour shortages which affected the supply side, and pandemic-associated changes in consumer purchasing patterns which affected the demand side. These internal shocks have resulted in imbalances between the supply and demand of different markets including the goods and services market, the labour market, and the money market. Exogenous shocks occur due to non-economic interventions such as war (e.g., the Ukraine-Russia war) and the ongoing global pandemics (e.g., COVID-19). This combination of economic shocks is unprecedented, therefore the resulting impacts on inflation and the cost of living (CoL) are unique, both in terms of provenance and consequences for population health and wellbeing. This is further exacerbated by COVID-19 consequences and recovery from the pandemic which has been estimated to take 10–15 years [ 2 ]. The cost of living crisis is often regarded as the ‘second health emergency’ after the COVID-19 pandemic [ 3 ].

Panel a : Annual % change in UK GDP since records began; Panel b : % change in GDP compared to Feb 2020 (pre-pandemic levels) [ 1 ].

Recent evidence from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that economic shocks and austerity exacerbate poverty, vulnerability, marginalisation, as well as socioeconomic and health inequalities [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ], with serious implications for health [ 2 , 8 ],. In the UK, rising inflation has contributed to the rising CoL, which has made the population poorer and driven 1 in 5 into relative poverty [ 9 ].

The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) checks the prices of a whole range of items in a standard ‘basket’ of goods and services and the price of that basket determines the overall price level, otherwise known as the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). Inflation is a term used to describe rising prices and how quickly prices go up is called the rate of inflation. To calculate the inflation rate, the cost of the basket or level of CPI is compared with the previous year, and this change in price level over the year is the rate of inflation [ 10 , 11 ]. The inflation rate in the UK (February 2023) was 10.5% against a usual target of 2% [ 10 ]. The inflation rate is projected to worsen through 2023 and subsequently decrease by Q1 of 2024 as depicted in Fig. 2 [ 10 ], a trend confirmed in recent months with inflation now at 4.2% (Jan 2024).

CPI inflation Q1 2008 to Q1 2028, including successive Bank of England and Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts. Source: Institute for Government

According to the official economic projections, the expected UK economic recovery is slower than the G7 countries, a full recovery and return to pre-pandemic peak is expected in the end of 2024. The average annual growth rate is less than 1% (per year), from the start of the pandemic till 2028. Prior to this period, the growth rate was 2.75%. In addition to this, the real disposable income per person is expected to fall by 5.7 cumulative percent by the end of the next March 2024 [ 12 ].

Meanwhile the consumer’s wages and benefit payments are not in tandem with rising living costs, and in particular, the cost of housing, food, energy, and fuel [ 13 ]. For example, evidence suggests that 14.4% of households in the UK (approximately 3.53 million) will be living in fuel poverty by January 2023 [ 14 ]. Those at risk include large families, lone parents, and pensioner couples [ 15 ], with the elderly and children being most vulnerable to an increased risk of physical illness such as respiratory infections [ 16 ]. In addition, studies have found that economic hardships increase the prevalence of mental illness, including feelings of anxiety and depression [ 17 ]. The modest economic growth, the decline in real disposable income, and the slow recovery expectations will put more pressure on hospital admission from respiratory and mental illnesses.

To better understand the current cost of living crisis, the associated triggers, drivers, consequences and potential solutions, a rapid evidence review was undertaken between November 2022 and March 2023. This was a cross-organisation, multidisciplinary endeavour that brought together academics, researchers, clinicians, public health practitioners, and policymakers to develop a review that would be informative, useful and of value to the wider health and care system and their stakeholders.

Aims and objectives

The review aimed to provide a first narrative review of evidence relevant to the current CoL crisis and impact on our population health, wellbeing and related services.

The objectives of this evidence review were:

To explain the provenance of the current CoL crisis from a UK perspective including the causes, triggers, drivers, and consequences.

To map the short (1 – 2 months), mid- (3 – 6 months) and long- term (6 months plus) implications of the current CoL crisis on population health and wellbeing. These would be themed by physical health, mental health, wellbeing, education, environment, workforce, and wider health and care system pressures. It would also involve the identification of those most vulnerable to the cost-of-living crisis.

To describe how people change their behaviour or cope/respond to the current CoL crisis, how it impacts on their self-care (e.g., attending regular health checks or screening visits) and the longer-term implications of this behaviour change.

To describe some of the mitigation strategies or interventions that have been deployed to counter the negative impacts of the current CoL/economic crisis and their effects in the UK and key European counterparts, where available.

To describe the breadth of impacts on health and care system partners of the current CoL crisis.

Methodology

Search strategy.

The search strategy was based on the objectives of this review and cross-referenced with the search strategy adopted by UKHSA’s Library Services on CoL and poverty evidence reviews, conducted since November 2022. Studies published from 2020, which was the start of the coronavirus pandemic and unique set of circumstances culminating in the cost of living crisis, and up to and including the 2023 were reviewed.

Key themes were discussed with experts, such as respiratory consultants, to finalise the search strategy to ensure the search included key phrases.

The definition of the CoL crisis has been taken from the WHO which describes CoL as the decrease in real disposable income that people have been experiencing since late 2021. The key causes are high inflation overriding income and benefit increases, and, have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, disruption to global supply chains and the food and energy crises [ 2 ].

The keywords included: cost of living, population impacts, living cost, fuel poverty, poverty, mental health, physical health, wellbeing, education, work environment, ability to work, and ability to care. Full details of search strategy are included in Appendix 1 .

Selection methodology

Evidence identification, screening and extraction.

The selection criteria were structured around PICOS structure [ 18 , 19 ]:

All age groups impacted by the CoL crisis in the UK.

Intervention

Any strategies or interventions that have been used to mitigate the impacts of a CoL crisis to be presented by theme/topic, individual level e.g., reducing energy bills at home or changing food preparation patterns; community level e.g., provision of warm drinks at community centres for the elderly, economic/societal level e.g., energy payments for all households, etc. Could also present these at local/sub-regional, national levels.

All age groups that are used to compare with and against those most impacted by CoL (those most protected or least vulnerable to a financial crisis).

The primary outcomes includes a comprehensive tally of physical health (e.g., admissions, morbidity, mortality), Mental Health (e.g., anxiety, depression, injuries, suicide and self-harm), Wellbeing (e.g., social and economic insecurity, working additional jobs, reduced leisure time), educational attainment/school absenteeism, Environmental (e.g., pollution, housing conditions, infrastructure disruptions), workforce (inability to work due to sickness inability to care for family members) and Service pressures or impacts (e.g., lack of staff, lack of community based care or service provision).

Study design

Due to the specific nature of this CoL crisis and time restrictions, we reviewed all review study designs.

Inclusion criteria

UK-based studies only, due to the unique set of circumstances political policies and populations pertaining to the UK; review studies from the 1st of January 2020 up to include the 24th of February 2023. Including grey literature, such as reports from think tanks and charities, such as The Kings Fund [ 3 ] and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation [ 9 , 20 ].

Exclusion criteria

Non-UK based studies, specific study formats including letters to Editors.

Article review

From the search, excluding grey literature, 1,256 records were identified. The team extracted these titles/abstracts into Rayyan, an online software programme used for systematic literature reviews. The study team were then given individual access, with the ‘blind’ feature activated, allowing for independent assessments to be made of each article and corresponding eligibility for inclusion into this evidence review. The initial abstract review was undertaken by two members of the study team, with 50% of articles assessed by at least two members of the team – any discrepancies were discussed and a mutual decision made. Following abstract review, the full text screen was divided into topic areas where two team members reviewed each paper for suitability. As previously, any discrepancies were discussed and a mutual decision made. Each extracted article, regardless of relevance or quality, underwent initial screening to determine relevance to the review topic. Figure 3 details the process for inclusion of studies.

PRISMA flowchart showing inclusion of studies into the study review process through Rayyan including identification, screening and final, included articles

Quality assessment methodology

Forty-one studies were included in the full text review. Suitable studies (with interventions) were appraised for quality by a primary reviewer and, to ensure robustness, 50% of these were appraised by a second reviewer. Study quality (cross-sectional, case–control, cohort or qualitative) was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) adapted to consider key areas: selection (representativeness of the sample, sample size, non-responders and exposure details); comparability (is confounding considered) and outcome (blinding, recording and statistical test used). Whilst there are a myriad range of assessment tools available, the NOS has been endorsed by the Cochrane Collaboration to assess quality of research studies [ 18 ].

Three studies were eligible for scoring, the results are detailed in Table 1 . Eligibility for scoring was based on whether an intervention was evaluated as part of the study – those that described an intervention were considered for scoring.

The results are presented by the five objectives outlined in the methodology. Table 2 summarises the 26 papers identified as part of our review process and Table 3 describes the grey literature used.

Current CoL crisis

We have addressed objective 1 of the evidence review (describe the current CoL, including the causes, triggers, and drivers of economic instability by internal and external shock factors) as part of the introduction of this report and cited findings from the World Health Organisation [ 2 ], the Bank of England [ 11 ] and the Institute for Health Equity [ 14 ]. Six (out of twenty-six) peer-reviewed papers from the evidence review were also used to gather evidence and establish a baseline understanding of the current CoL crisis.

Short, mid and long term implications

The review mapped health and wellbeing outcomes using evidence published from six (out of twenty-six) peer-reviewed papers from the evidence review and findings from the World Health Organisation [ 2 ], the King’s Fund [ 3 ], the Joseph Rowntree Foundation [ 9 , 20 ] and Public Health Wales [ 13 ]. A summary of the findings from our reading across papers and grey literature, as well as discussions with our expert advisory panel, on relatable health outcomes is shown in Table 4 and are themed by type of impact (environmental impacts, mental health, physical health and service pressures/impact areas), by time (immediate 1–2 months, intermediate 3–6 months and longer-term 6 months and over) and populations at risk.

The review found that the strongest evidence for the impact of a CoL crisis, particularly from living in cold homes, was on acute hospital admissions due to respiratory distress or illnesses and in particular, affected the very young (children aged 0–4 years) or the elderly (75 + years) [ 13 , 16 , 29 , 33 ]. It is also anticipated that in 2023, a further 500,000 children across England will fall below the UK poverty line [ 33 ] with families struggling to buy essential items like food and clothing [ 34 ]. Increases in the cost of energy and food would result in families choosing between energy dense foods vs. more costly healthier food options [ 30 ]. The CoL crisis could widen socioeconomic inequalities in obesity by affecting disadvantaged families and communities at an existing risk of obesity [ 30 ]. Specifically concerning in younger children are issues related to living in a cold home – including unsafe sleep practices for children, reduced ventilation to keep ‘the heat in’, and living in areas where it is unsafe to open windows [ 35 ].

Behaviour change

Objective 3 of the evidence review was on the impact of the CoL crisis on health behaviours, how people cope or respond to a CoL crisis, and how it impacts on their self-care e.g., attending regular health checks or screening visits. Evidence from 3 (out of 26) peer-reviewed papers [ 32 , 36 , 37 ] from the evidence review and findings from Public Health Wales [ 13 ] informed our results. These were:

Reducing transport related costs associated with attending screening services and appointments may be effective as cost was a barrier for people accessing health and care services. Missing or delaying medical appointments will exacerbate physical and mental health illnesses and delay treatment.

Economic crisis was associated with a lower probability of drinking alcohol frequently and lower probability of being physically inactive.

Economic austerity was associated with increasing child poverty and poorer access and quality of services provided, particularly to children with physical disabilities.

Screening could be offered in acute care and community-based settings to address the social needs of vulnerable patients and families.

The Food Foundation has tracked food insecurity [ 38 ] and found that:

17.7% of households experienced food insecurity (moderate or severe) in January 2023, with 24.4% of households with children experiencing food insecurity.

3.2 million adults (6.1% of households) reported not eating for a whole day because they couldn’t afford food.

Key workers are more likely to be experiencing food insecurity.

Half of households on Universal Credit experienced food insecurity

Disability exacerbates food insecurity.

Non – white people more likely to experience food insecurity.

Mitigation strategies

Objective 4 of the evidence review was on potential interventions to address the CoL crisis at a population level. Nine (out of 26) peer-reviewed papers [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ] were included alongside evidence from the grey literature sources including the King’s Fund [ 3 ], Joseph Rowntree Foundation [ 9 ] and Public Health Wales [ 13 ].

Where possible, scoring of studies with an intervention were undertaken. Three studies were scored using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) as detailed in Table 1 :

A summary of interventions that could be deployed to mitigate the effects of the CoL crisis is presented in Appendix 2 with most peer-reviewed publications focussing on mitigating the negative impacts on mental health. By theme and strength of evidence (where grading was possible), the key findings are:

Mental health

Strong evidence (based on systematic review and meta-analysis of results) to support the use of short-stay crisis units for people experiencing mental health crises.

Evidence showed that suicide risk assessment tools are deployed variably across 85 NHS mental health organisations with limited staff training. Study outcomes recommend standardisation of assessment tools and bespoke staff training in use and implementation, to help improve service and care provision for people attempting suicide or serious self-harm.

Despite strong study design, there was a lack of evidence for the effectiveness of specialist mental health day units compared to crisis teams which support people in crisis at home.

Similarly, there was weak evidence for the use of mental health units which act independently of emergency departments with some units experiencing lengthy stays in a setting which was designed for short stays.

Public Health Wales 2023 [ 13 ] related commissioned review recommends focussing on mental health and wellbeing support including suicide prevention campaigns (short term) and linking people with community support including voluntary and community sector (long term).

Physical health

Providing financial help and home improvements to those at risk of living in a cold home (increasing the warmth and/or energy efficiency of a home)

Preventing falls through exercise (strength training) and home safety assessments

Preventing the spread of respiratory viral infections maximising vaccination uptakes e.g., influenza vaccines, employers encouraging sick employees to stay at home, and providing handwashing advice.

Helping vulnerable individuals keep warm, particularly those experiencing homelessness.

Environmental (income support, energy relief, housing, food)

Public Health Wales recommend providing targeted support on energy bills and extending the Winter Fuel Support Scheme for all households and focusing on the elderly, the very young and people with disabilities or long-term health conditions.

Advising on modifying home energy use in the community e.g., best time of day to use appliances or monitoring use with a smart meter.

Extension of the council tax reduction scheme for tenants and households experiencing hardship

Provision of meal allowances and free school meals to all primary school children.

Supporting emergency schemes such as food banks and community groups which provide essentials of daily living (extend to community/faith groups).

Voluntary & community sector

Weak evidence for the use of individualised/bespoke advice on facilitating energy tariff switching, particularly in vulnerable communities (BAME, elderly over 75 years, and families with young children). Young families most likely to switch, elderly least likely due to apathy, lack of knowledge and scepticism.

Impact on system partners

The last objective of the evidence review aimed to summarise the impact of the CoL crisis on other partners in the health and care systems, such as the voluntary and community sector, fire and rescue service, military, police, and ambulance service. The results of the review (predominantly grey literature as well as discussions with our expert advisory panel) found the following impacts by different sectors as presented here:

Voluntary and community sector

There has been a reduction in voluntary services and community groups, particularly in deprived areas where the level of need is higher. This is largely driven by an increase in energy prices, consumable such as food, and an increase in fuel prices, and more expensive labour [ 48 ].

Reductions in charitable donations and volunteer time have been seen in charity settings with charities now responding more to crisis planning, including welfare and wellbeing support for people.

A decrease in the volume of food donated to food banks has resulted in limited supplies of food provisions against rising demand in the community [ 49 ].

The rate of closures and number of closures of charities was significantly higher in 2022 than in 2021, and simultaneous reduction in the resilience of the voluntary and charity sector in April 2023 compared with previous years [ 50 ]. This includes operating losses for large front-line charities.

There has been a reduction in number of volunteers as part time jobs [ 50 ].

Successes were seen, with services being continued, in charities providing hot meals to elderly residents and a scheme for free school meals provision during school holidays.

Providing safe, warm spaces by making use of local amenities have been successfully deployed in some areas (Wiltshire Community Foundation).

Increases in fuel theft and shoplifting (crime/policing) were noted, however, the Office for National Statistics reports that this increase could be due to improved recording processes and practices by police staff and expansion of recorded crime figures to include new offences [ 51 ].

Fire & rescue

Increased risk of fires as people try to heat their homes or find alternative and cheaper ways to light or heat their homes, for example, wood burner fires linked to chimneys not being swept [ 52 ].

Increased emergency admissions in A & E from burns as a result of alternative heating mechanisms used or unsafe practices, for example, plugging in an electric heater too close to flammable materials.

Data from the House of Commons [ 53 ] shows that a series of measures have been introduced to mitigate against the CoL increase for defence people, veterans and service families including subsidised accommodation charges at 1%, freezing food charges, increasing travel allowance, and providing additional wraparound childcare services.

This is one of the first narrative reviews of the published and grey literature from 2020–2023 to describe the breadth of impact of the current and unique CoL crisis on population health in the UK. The main findings of this report refer to the immediate impacts on population health and well-being, including physical, mental, and financial health. This paper sequentially assesses the literature to present mapped population impacts, individual and population behavioural responses to the cost of living crisis, and the system wide implications of these impacts. Since conducting our review Broadbent et al. [ 54 ] and Richardson et al. [ 55 ], have published work which also investigates the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on population health, which corroborate our findings. Our review was produced to help stakeholders and partners in the health and care sector to rapidly assimilate key information, knowledge, and evidence on the impacts of the cost of living and use it to inform, challenge, change, and drive local policies and practices on tackling this crisis.

The unique provenance of the cost of living

The COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit, and the Ukraine-Russia war have resulted in unique economic shocks in the UK with steep declines in GDP, reduction in disposable incomes, and increases in inflation from 2020 to 2023. The situation has been further compounded by public sector strikes, political instability, changing fiscal and energy policies, climbing interest rates, findings further corroborated by Broadbent and colleagues [ 54 ]. At a population level, the evidence reflects a reduction in spending power due to the rising costs of essentials such as food and medication, and basic utilities such as heating, electricity, and council tax [ 56 ]. Evidence from the grey literature, the Office of National Statistics, reports that from 17 to 29 May 2023, 7 in 10 adults reported an increase in their cost of living compared to the previous year, largely driven by food bills (95%), gas or electricity bills (73%) and fuel prices (39%) [ 31 ]. A reduction in a household’s spending power or income, is likely to have marked effects on health, as other longitudinal analyses and reports have purported [ 55 ].Our review highlights the unique provenance of the current cost of living crisis, and why it is markedly different and more serious compared to previous economic crises, both at a UK and global level.

The short, mid- and long-term impacts

Our review captures a breadth of physical and mental health conditions which can be affected by the CoL crisis in the short, mid and long term. In the short term, the strongest evidence was for the impact of CoL on housing, resulting in cold, damp, or mouldy homes, and the subsequent effect on the rate of respiratory conditions. These impacts are also more likely to affect those already vulnerable, such as those with chronic conditions, lone parents, multigeneration families, and children [ 13 , 16 , 29 , 33 , 57 ]. Another group vulnerable to the CoL impacts include key workers, those on universal credit, disabled and people from non-white ethnicities [ 16 , 21 , 31 ]. The July 2023 labour market figures form the ONS show that over 410,000 people were not actively seeking employment due to long-term sick leave [ 58 ]. In the longer term, increased morbidity rates and mortality rates from all-causes and cause-specific, such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, are expected with recent publications citing an increase in premature mortality by up to 6.4% and life expectancy to decrease by 0.9% [ 55 ].This has been demonstrated with official mortality rates in March 2023, which were 4.8% above the expected rate [ 59 ].

Behaviour changes because of the CoL crisis are likely to confound the issues that are affecting physical and mental health. Changes in food buying patterns, changes in the frequency and temperature to which homes are heated, and reduced physical activity levels can contribute to poor physical and mental health and impact wellbeing. Other impacts include the inability to afford travels costs to attend screening or hospital services or the reduction in community services such as community pharmacies [ 13 ]. This CoL crisis has had a negative impact on voluntary services and community groups. Charity and food donations have decreased, whilst the need for charity and food banks have exponentially increased. The Trussell Trust report that from March 2022-March 2023, they provided almost 3 million emergency food parcels, higher than during the pandemic and more than double the number in the same period 5 years prior [ 60 ], a finding further highlighted by Broadbent and colleagues [ 54 ].

What can be done to mitigate the impacts?

Our evidence suggests that financial help should be provided to those most at risk of living in a cold home because of the CoL crisis, such as lone parents, multigenerational families, and those living alone via targeted support for energy bills with a focus on those at risk from the CoL crisis [ 13 ]. In addition to these groups, Broadbent [ 54 ]and Richardson [ 55 ] also suggest focus on women, unemployed people and those who are living with a disability, as being most vulnerable to the cost of living crisis. Financial support could also be provided in terms of reduction of council tax, provision of universal free school meals [ 61 ], and bespoke advice on how to save energy when using appliances at home [ 13 ]. To mitigate against the effects of the CoL crisis on physical health, particularly from respiratory illness, evidence was suggestive of investing in-home improvements for those living in cold homes, strength training to reduce the risk of falls, and that flu vaccination uptake should be maximised to reduce the spread of influenza alongside good hand washing guidance [ 13 ]. Campaigns aimed at suicide prevention and linking people with community support may also benefit those with mental health illnesses and those who live alone. Our evidence also found that linking system partners across the health and social care arena and including community-based partners such as the voluntary, charity and faith sectors may collectively have better outreach and impact.

What are the strengths and limitations of this review?

The key strength of this review is the immediate availability of a succinct report which considers the volume of evidence, both published and grey, on the current cost of living crisis. The authors also expanded the original search to include mitigating actions, behaviours, and strategies, so that colleagues may benefit from evidence-based solutions that may work at a population level. We have attempted to synthesis the most recent evidence, to build a picture of why the current economic crisis is unique, and what that means for the population. As with all original reviews, there are several limitations to this work. Firstly, the review period covers 2020–2023, rather than considering the impacts of historic CoL crises on population health. Whilst more evidence on population health outcomes may be needed, the provenance of the current CoL crisis remains unique and warranted specific focus and attention, hence our selection of the time window for review. Secondly, we were not able to ascertain peer-reviewed literature on the impacts on system partners including Fire & Rescue colleagues as these data remain unpublished, anecdotal, and discussed in privileged meetings. However, as more evidence gets published through this crisis, we may consider updating our review in due course to reflect the published evidence. Another limitation is the lack of consideration for any positive impacts of a cost of living crisis, for example a reduced consumption of alcohol due to reduced affordability, reduced usage of public transport due to costs, and a reduction in air quality in major cities. Lastly, due to the time, resources and need for this review, it was conducted in a 3-month timeframe to be of immediate use, value, and impact for current system partners but may have introduced bias to our findings such as a publication bias due to the shorter timeframe [ 62 ]. However, to mitigate this, we have provided a detailed description of methods used including search strategies and discussed the implications of the chosen method in terms of bias. Should more time and resources be made available, future iterations of this review should consider the wider impacts of the CoL crisis at a personalised and individual level, and family and community level but also include different types of study designs rather than the focus on reviews alone in this rapid synthesis which may not fully capture data on the cost of living impacts.

At a population level, the current CoL affects everyone, but particularly exacerbates poorer physical and mental health outcomes in those already vulnerable in our society. Our review found that while the most vulnerable are people living alone, single parents and those living in multigenerational households, more can be done at a community and societal level to support and improve health outcomes. This review brings together the evidence to enable decision makers to act at the right time whilst targeting their resources at the right groups.

Availability of data and materials

All data used or analysed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files.

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Jade Meadows, Abdelrahman J. K. Alfar, Ömer Yetkin Başkan, Nevila Kallfa & Gwen Sascha Fernandes

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This work was undertaken and supported by the South West Critical Thinking Unit (NHS England) with collaboration and partner contributions from across the health and care sector including colleagues from NHS England, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, and the UK Health Security Agency. NK, GF, and JM were involved in the initial concept, design, and development of the protocol. CDB and JH devised the search strategy and RC helped with theme development. GF, JM, and MM completed the abstract review, and GF, JM, MM, OB, and AA conducted the full text screening. JM and GF wrote the main manuscript text. NK, GF, JM, AA, OB, MM, JH, CDB and RC contributed to the manuscript development and multiple draft versions before finalising. No further funding or commissions to declare.

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Additional file 1:.

Appendix 1. Search Strategy. Appendix 2. Interventions to mitigating the impacts of the CoL crisis.

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Meadows, J., Montano, M., Alfar, A.J.K. et al. The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on population health in the UK: rapid evidence review. BMC Public Health 24 , 561 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17940-0

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17940-0

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Cost of Living Crisis: Unpicking and Understanding the data gaps

In our latest blog, statistics regulators vicky stone and chris davies look at the role of statistics in the cost of living crisis debate..

As the UK’s statistics regulator, our vision is simple. Statistics should serve the public good – and to meet this ambition, in part, statistics should be able to answer questions that users are interested in.

A very current and topical question in our minds at present is how well do statistics inform the debate around the cost-of-living crisis and are there any data gaps? Whilst on the face of it this is a very simple question, the cost-of-living crisis is actually a very tricky concept to unpick and understand.

The statistical system currently provides a range of high-quality statistics that measure component parts, such as income and earnings, prices, inflation, household spending patterns, income-based poverty, and fuel poverty statistics. This blog focuses on data gaps identified within three of the component parts; understanding increases in prices, the impact on family resources and spending and levels of income-based poverty .

M any households are facing increases in expenditure on different goods and services – and this varies from household to household. Increasing prices of essential items such as food and energy may impact on the financial position of households and may also have an impact on overall poverty levels. For example, the Resolution Foundation estimates that an extra 1.3 million people will fall into absolute poverty in 2023, including 500,000 children.

Statistics are needed to inform our understanding on how rising fuel, energy and food prices are affecting different households and people across the UK. Statistical producers have responded well to user demand for additional information on the cost-of-living crisis. This blog acknowledges some great work through case studies and identifies data gaps in three areas.

The impact of inflation on households with varying incomes

H eadline rates of inflation , or the general increase in prices, are well captured by the O ffice for N ational Statistics ’ (ONS) current suite of inflation statistics . However, there is a remaining challenge in understanding varying inflation faced by those on different incomes. Using new data sources , including scanner and web scraped data, ONS is developing measures of inflation which reflect the lived inflation experience of households. These measures include a personal inflation calculator , for people to measure the affect cost of living increases has had on them in the past year; Household Cost Indices , which measure UK households’ experience of changing prices and costs ; a n analysis of lowest cost items , which will for example, identify lower-price items for a shopping list of essential items ; and bespoke analysis on Inflation and the cost of living of UK Households , overview June 2022 .

These measures, along with subgroup analysis of the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs ( CPIH ) and the Consumer Prices Index ( CPI ) , represent part of ONS’s T rans formation of Consumer Prices and Cost of Living analysis programme s , which in part, ha ve been developed to respond to the public debate led by Jack Monroe on the representativeness of official measures of price inflation for individuals on low incomes.

Case study 1: Filling the data gaps

On 30 May 2022, ONS published experimental analysis tracking the price of the lowest-cost grocery items, UK, experimental analysis: April 2021 to April 2022 as a first step to understanding varying price inflation experienced by individuals on low incomes.

A summary of ONS’s current and future analytical work related to cost of living is available here .

The impact of increasing costs on family resources and spending

S tatistics on income and spending are generally presented on a household basis and based on surveys covering people living in private households, such as the Family Resources Survey (FRS) and the L iving Costs and Food Survey (L CF ) . In our review of income-based poverty statistics we identified a number of data gaps in coverage and granularity of the statistics. Household surveys exclude homeless people and those not residing in private households, such as care homes, halls of residence and prisons. These groups are likely to be living at the lowest end of the income distribution and therefore are an important omission from the statistics.

More recently, the Inclusive Data Taskforce 2021 report also identified a number of critical gaps in the collection of personal characteristic data. A number of groups were repeatedly identified with basic demographic information missing, such as non-household populations. In line with recommendations of th at report, the recording of demographic information must be improved to ensure more data inclusivity.

Case study 2: Filling the data gaps

Following our assessment in 2021 of the LCF survey , ONS has demonstrated its commitment to improve the statistics in line with our requirements and recommendations. We are encouraged to hear that the Household Financial Statistics Transformation (HFST) project aims to exploit alternative data sources to establish a more integrated and efficient survey of household finances. DWP is also investing in the Family Resources Survey by introducing a significant boost in the sample and making good progress on a transformation programme to integrate survey and administrative data. This work aims to improve the quality, timeliness and granularity of the statistics, to improve insight and understanding of income, wealth, spending and financial resilience across the UK.

The impact on levels of income-based poverty

The concept of poverty means different things to different people and there are a number of different measures commonly used to understand income-based poverty. The UK’s official poverty estimates are published in the annual Household Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ; with the latest statistics published in March 2022 , covering up to FYE 2021 . The same week, ONS published its annual household income inequality statistics also providing estimates of household incomes and inequality in the U K covering FYE 2021. Whilst these statistics are the official sources on household and individual incomes in the UK, they do not cover most recent effects of rising living costs; as highlighted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation .

OSR 2021 Poverty review

Our review of income-based poverty statistics was published in May 2021 and whilst many of our recommendations still stand – we have seen some good progress in response to our work including;

Sustained co-ordination, collaboration and leadership via the Government Statistical Service (GSS) Income and Earnings Coherence Steering Group and publication of a work plan .
Improved accessibility and coherence of the income and earnings statistical landscape for users to navigate via a new interactive tool and updated income and earnings statistics guide .
Additional poverty measures published by DWP as part of the Household Below Average Income publication in March 2022 .

Case study 3: Filling the data gaps

ONS regularly publishes insightful analysis on the cost of living in Great Britain using the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey . The survey was adapted quickly to collect social insights data during the COVID-19 pandemic and covers impact on health and wellbeing and goods shortages as well as the cost of living. Data are published on the ONS website, most recently via the Public Opinions and Social Trends bulletin , and is available to accredited researchers via the Secure Research Service (SRS) .

Looking Forward

As the cost-of living crisis continues to unfold, people will want to know how increasing prices will affect them and understand associated levels of income-based poverty – and plugging the data gaps will be crucial in understanding the complexities more fully to make change and ease the burden on people.

For more information on our regulatory work in this space, please follow us on Twitter @StatsRegulation and subscribe to our newsletter.

Resetting the relationship between local and national government. Read our Local Government White Paper

Cost of living: Spotlight case studies

This section of the cost of living hub shares more detailed ‘spotlight’ case studies, highlighting some of the great work of councils and partners.

Durham County Council: Linking families into Healthy Start and other support

Healthy Start is a national scheme which helps young families and those pregnant on low incomes to access nutritious food, milk and vitamins. Figures are published on its take-up at local authority level, with one of the best rates of take-up being County Durham. In February 2023 the England average uptake was 63.5 per cent, while the figure for County Durham was 73 per cent.

Bath & North East Somerset Council: A partnership approach to food insecurity

Bath & North East Somerset is a small unitary district with just over 196,000 residents. Rising demand for support such as food banks and debt advice has shown that local people are being affected by the cost of living. The council has taken the approach to work with local trusted organisations to engage with people who have experience of food insecurity.

Surrey County Council: Actively directing support to those who need it most

Surrey County Council has been utilising the strength of the voluntary, community and faith sector to reach those communities that are most in need of extra support.

Brentwood Borough Council and Rochford District Council: Partnership working between two councils and their communities

Brentwood Borough Council and Rochford District Council formalised their strategic partnership in February 2022 following a six-month trial period with a joint chief executive. The agreement sees each council retain its sovereignty and independent governance while exploring meaningful co-working opportunities to use their combined resources for the good of local residents.

Suffolk: Creating a ‘Fuel Poverty Retrofit Team’ to support vulnerable residents in energy-inefficient homes

Warm Homes Suffolk is an initiative shared across Suffolk’s county, district and borough councils, has been granted funding to assemble a ‘Fuel Poverty Retrofit Team’ to support residents most affected by the cost of living.

London Borough of Wandsworth: Using a place-based approach and working with the community to seek longer term solutions

Wandsworth Council is committed to supporting residents through cost of living pressures and has developed a range of immediate actions through a community-focused cost of living programme.

Wiltshire Council: Creating a county-wide network of volunteer energy advisers

Wiltshire Council has enlisted the help of library staff and community groups to provide basic energy advice to local residents. The staff and groups can volunteer for online training on issues around energy efficiency, providing an accessible community-based resource across the county.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Stockport Council and Trafford Council: A city region response to the cost of living

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has been seeking to add value to the work of its 10 member councils by leading a whole system response to the cost of living pressures. This includes data gathering, sharing information, and practical advice for particular groups of residents..

Royal Borough of Greenwich: Helping residents to improve their financial resilience

Helping disadvantaged residents to maximise their income and improve their financial resilience has long been a priority for the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Both COVID-19 and cost of living have brought an added impetus to this work.

Hertfordshire County Council: Partnership action to prevent hospital admissions

Hertfordshire’s strategic approach has been to maintain and strengthen the cross-council, cross-service, multi-partner approach that proved effective during COVID-19, and has been refined and built on for cost of living support.

East Devon District Council: Creating a social resilience dashboard

Poverty prevention and alleviation is a priority for East Devon District Council. The council set up a working panel in 2020 to lead the creation of a poverty strategy and action plan, and then to monitor progress against it. The strategy has five objectives – including to help people on low incomes build financial resilience and reduce indebtedness.

Leeds City Council: Cross-sector working and a review of local welfare support

Leeds City Council has added a new breakthrough priority on cost of living to its ‘Best City Ambition’ (the overall vision for the future of Leeds), recognising that partners need to work together to harness the capacity and capability in the city.

Bristol City Council: Working with communities to provide welcoming spaces

As part of its approach to cost of living, Bristol City Council has created a network of more than 80 warm and accessible community-led spaces in established places of connection such as community centres, children’s centres and faith spaces, providing extra activities and capacity during the winter.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council: Warm space activities for children and families

‘A Fairer Stockton-on-Tees’ (FSOT) is the borough council’s long-term strategic framework for tackling inequalities. The immediate focus is on ensuring that the council and its delivery partners can help local residents navigate the cost of living.

Kirklees Council: A cost of living action plan co-created by the public health and policy teams

Developing a cost of living action plan at Kirklees Council has been a joint effort between the public health and corporate policy teams, with strong councillor involvement.

Brighton & Hove City Council: Partnership action on the emergency food response

Brighton & Hove City Council is working with community organisations that share its goal of a healthy, sustainable and fair food system.

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This case presents a male in his early 50s with bilateral painful petechial rash in the lower limbs, which occurred spontaneously without trauma. He also had macroscopic haematuria and macrocytic anaemia with mild neutropenia and lymphopenia. Vasculitis, autoimmune and haematological screens were negative. CT scan of his abdomen and lower limbs did not show any intra-abdominal bleeding or lower limb vasculitis. Skin biopsy was also unremarkable. His petechial rash continued to progress during admission. On further history, he revealed poor oral intake and cessation of his post-sleeve gastrectomy supplements, due to financial constraints. A nutritional panel showed undetectable vitamin C level, along with a few other nutritional deficiencies. He was treated for scurvy with vitamin C supplements, and his painful rash and haematuria resolved.

Scurvy is a re-emerging disease with the rising cost of living. It can present as early as a month after a vitamin C-deficient diet. The petechial skin lesions often occur especially in the lower extremities and may be mistaken for systemic vasculitis. The diagnosis is often made after an extensive diagnostic workup including imaging and biopsies, thus delaying treatment. Risk factors for scurvy include poor nutrition, gastric bypass surgeries, dialysis, alcoholism, psychiatric history and eating disorders. This disease is easily reversible with supplementation, with dramatic response seen within 24 hours. Failure to treat could lead to catastrophic haemorrhage. Hence, early recognition and prompt treatment are vital.

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https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2024-261082

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Contributors The following authors were responsible for drafting of the text, sourcing and editing of clinical images, investigation results, drawing original diagrams and algorithms and critical revision for important intellectual content: AD, SE and KD. The following author gave final approval of the manuscript: SS.

Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

Competing interests None declared.

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COMMENTS

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Qualitative case studies of how real people are managing the Cost of Living Crisis is a useful way to provide insight into the reality of poverty in the UK in 2022, adding some necessary depth to poverty statistics which can be rather inhuman. A very useful contemporary resource which does just this is a recent documentary from Panorama which ...
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Food and energy prices are already on the rise and look set to increase further, pushing up the essential costs of living. Ruth Patrick and Katie Pybus discuss the impact of poverty on health Rising prices. Tax increases. Energy price hikes. Social security cuts. Stagnating wages. Together, it makes for an incredibly difficult environment, especially for families already struggling to get by ...
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The cost-of-living crisis has surpassed COVID-19 as the main concern for many communities. According to a survey done by The Food Foundation, one in seven (7·3 million) UK adults, and 2 ... The study by Davara Bennett and colleagues reports that increases in child poverty levels in England between 2015 and 2020 were associated with more than ...
The public health implications of the cost-of-living crisis: outlining
The UK, and other high-income countries, are experiencing substantial increases in living costs. Several overlapping and intersecting economic crises threaten physical and mental health in the immediate and longer term. Policy responses may buffer against the worst effects (e.g. welfare support) or further undermine health (e.g. austerity). We explore fundamental causes underpinning the cost ...
Cost-of-living crisis: the impact on Natalie's life
Our cost-of-living case studies look at the real-world impact on people. They're designed to highlight the decisions that rising prices are forcing people to make. Everyone's situation is unique and everyone is affected by financial shocks in different ways. We're trying to bring those ways to life. Natalie, 35, is a single mother to two ...
The public health implications of the cost-of-living crisis: outlining
Case study: the rising cost of domestic energy. ... The cost-of-living crisis brings considerable risk for population health and health inequalities. This crisis is driven by interlinked challenges, including real-terms wage and benefits reductions, inflation, Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and international conflict. ...
Hard times: How the cost-of-living crisis is affecting the workplace
Against the backdrop of the UK's worst cost-of-living crisis in decades, with the annual rate of CPI inflation increasing by 10.4% in February 2023, CIPD research finds that fewer employees are finding it easy to pay their bills. In winter 2022,1 a YouGov survey commissioned by the CIPD found 61% of workers said they were keeping up with all ...
The public health implications of the cost-of-living crisis: outlining
We explore fundamental causes underpinning the cost-of-living crisis, examine potential pathways by which the crisis could impact population health and use a case study to model potential impacts of one aspect of the crisis on a specific health outcome. Our modelling illustrates how policy approaches can substantially protect health and avoid ...
Income and cost of living: Are less equal places more costly?
Objective. This study empirically investigates the impact of economic inequality on the cost of living in U.S. metropolitan areas. Methods. Using a special Census tabulation, a standard cost-of-living model is sequentially augmented with measures of poverty and income inequality in a cross-sectional regression analysis of 90 metropolitan areas; interaction and regional effects are also explored.
Cost-of-living crisis: the impact on Mark's life
Our cost-of-living case studies look at the real-world impact on people. They're designed to highlight the decisions that rising prices are forcing people to make. Everyone's situation is unique and everyone is affected by financial shocks in different ways. We're trying to bring those ways to life.
PDF The Cost of Living in America: Helping Families Move Ahead
To assess changes in the cost of living, economists study changes in the prices of an aggregate basket of goods and services (see box 1). Between 1990 and 2019, the overall cost of living rose
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How much of an impact, if at all, has the rising cost of living had on your mental health? (November 2022 and July 2023) Three in five people said the rising cost of living had a negative impact on their mental health back in November last year, and this shows no sign of improving 12% 10% 48% 49% 36% 37% 1% 1% July 2023 November 2022
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1. Rising inflation means consumers will buy less overall. Many consumers are tightening their purse strings in response to the rising cost of living. According to data analytics firm Kantar, 47% of U.K. consumers have made or are expecting to make cutbacks in their general expenditure due to inflation.
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The figure for the cost of living is frequently used to compare the minimum income needed to live in various locations. According to Payscale's calculator, as of Oct. 14, 2023, the cost of living ...
The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on population health in the UK
Studies published from 2020, which was the start of the coronavirus pandemic and unique set of circumstances culminating in the cost of living crisis, and up to and including the 2023 were reviewed. Key themes were discussed with experts, such as respiratory consultants, to finalise the search strategy to ensure the search included key phrases.
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Abstract and Figures. Cost of living and standard of living are two elements that have strong causal relationship. Determining which one causes the other would give some ideas to policy makers ...
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Cost of Living Case Studies. 8. Methods. Case studies allow for the collection of single or multiple sources of. data/knowledge to understand how interventions are implemented. within varying contexts (Shannon et al., 2021). An explanatory case study. approach was undertaken for this work (Yin, 2003). Our research
Living Wage Calculator
WHAT IS THE LIVING WAGE CALCULATOR? ... In a recent study, Patrick Villanova of Smart Asset assessed how much a single adult with no children would need to live comfortably in the 25 largest US metro areas. ... School Employee Wages Lag Behind Cost of Living; Strike Concludes with a Wage Increase. Diamond Thompson and Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier 03/25 ...
Cost of Living Crisis: Unpicking and Understanding the data gaps
Case study 1: Filling the data gaps. On 30 May 2022, ONS published experimental analysis tracking the price of the lowest-cost grocery items, UK, experimental analysis: April 2021 to April 2022 as a first step to understanding varying price inflation experienced by individuals on low incomes.. A summary of ONS's current and future analytical work related to cost of living is available here.
Cost of living: Spotlight case studies
Bath & North East Somerset is a small unitary district with just over 196,000 residents. Rising demand for support such as food banks and debt advice has shown that local people are being affected by the cost of living. The council has taken the approach to work with local trusted organisations to engage with people who have experience of food ...
Scurvy—a re-emerging disease with the rising cost of living and number
This case presents a male in his early 50s with bilateral painful petechial rash in the lower limbs, which occurred spontaneously without trauma. He also had macroscopic haematuria and macrocytic anaemia with mild neutropenia and lymphopenia. Vasculitis, autoimmune and haematological screens were negative. CT scan of his abdomen and lower limbs did not show any intra-abdominal bleeding or ...
Cost of Living
Tokyo. 57.51. Recent prices added: Water (0.33 liter bottle) in Bratislava costs 1.00€ (about 8 minutes ago) Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre in Barcelona costs 2,300.00€ (about 15 minutes ago) Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) in Maia is 2,000.00€ (about 16 minutes ago)