Rising food bills are the most widely noticed cause of the increased cost of living in Yorkshire, according to new figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
93% of people in Yorkshire who have seen their costs increase cite rising food bills as a cause – with a growing number struggling to afford their weekly shop and being forced look for support through the likes of food banks.
June Clark, who volunteers at St Catherine’s Food Bank in Wakefield, said: “We have noticed more people phoning up needing support.
“We’re doing what we can to help, but with food getting more expensive, there are more and more people who just can’t afford to feed their family.”
Rising energy bills have been stealing the headlines of late, and the recent figures show that people in Yorkshire are beginning to feel the effects of rising energy prices.
85% of people say they have begun the notice the increasing cost of gas and electricity in Yorkshire – making it the second most common cause of the increased cost of living in the county.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also seen the price of fuel increasing across the country. This too is being noticed at the pumps in Yorkshire – with 82% saying it is raising their cost of living.
As the cost of living in Yorkshire increases, residents are beginning to adjust their spending habits.
Spending less on non-essentials is the most common action, taken by 58% of people in Yorkshire who have seen their bills go up.
Meanwhile, 54% are trying to cut down on the amount of gas and electricity used at home and 43% are cutting back on non-essential journeys in their vehicles.
Other common actions being taken are spending less on food and essentials, done by 39% – whilst 37% have begun shopping around more to try and cut down their bills.
The ONS data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/expenditure/datasets/impactofincreasedcostoflivingonadultsacrossgreatbritain/marchtojune2022/costofliving050822.xlsx