WHICH have divided the UK population into six broad groups around the cost of living crisis.
Which do you fit into?
- 9.2 million members of the drained and desperate group – who often skip meals and one of whom said “it feels like I’m existing instead of living”
- The anxious and at risk are much more likely to have borrowed money to maintain basic living standards than to have cut back.
Six in 10 of the anxious and at risk group have increased their debt in the last six months – the highest among all groups. They are also more than twice as likely as the rest of the UK population to have used buy-now-pay-later schemes. Anxious and at risk group are typically earning £20,000 to £45,000, are aged 18 to 34, have children, work and rent their home.
Half of them said they worry that they or other members of their household aren’t eating healthily enough, have increased anxiety and are getting more distant from their friends.
- Cut off by cutbacks” have seen their social life “massively impacted”, straining relationships and leaving them feeling more lonely and isolated. Their primary concerns for the future include feeling increasingly isolated from family and friends.
- Relatively unaffected by the crisis are the “fretting about the future” cohort. They are often aged over 55 and own their homes outright. They have bought cheaper products but around half say they have enjoyed spending more time at home.
- Looking out for loved ones - personally unaffected, but worry about friends and family and often giving them a helping hand.
- Affluent and apathetic - think people should stop complaining and just get on with it.