To think the cost of living crisis isn't really a "crisis" for most people?

[buzzheath]

Not meant to be inflammatory at all. I'm well aware of the hardships that some people and families will face. But for the majority of people in the UK, will it really be a "crisis"? Isn't around half of the population middle class?

It would have been a massive crisis during my single parent years. I remember when my mortgage interest rates went up to 15% we nearly starved. I went without food for DS and we couldn't put the heating on at all. It isn't affecting me now because I've paid off the mortgage and I'm working full time still.

£200 a month extra spent on utilities, might mean £200 a month less spent somewhere else, so even the relatively well off may not feel in 'crisis' but imagine if that situation is replicated across the many millions you are talking about OP. Can you see the impact that might have ?

@slowquickstep How is your supermarket bill for 2 people £20 a week? Genuinely curious.

I am thinking of the impact on sectors like hospitality, retail, events, travel.

Everyone will get £400 off their energy bill in October. I am glad everyone will get this help as there need to be some healing between the haves & have nots. The poorest in this country seem to get blamed for draining the money pot but they aren’t the main drain.
I am hopeful those that really do not need the support will send their share to a local food bank or charity. If I could afford to pay it forward it I would but sadly I can’t.

Wow. Do you vote Tory? I've got two separate friends whose cars are parked up and they're getting public transport to work because they're at the point where it's food or petrol, not both. Another family, full time working dad, part time working mum, who are having to source second hand school uniforms for September so that the kids can at least have new shoes. Most of my friends have stopped buying brand name groceries and are getting almost everything from the cheaper own brand ranges, and most of us are shopping in cheaper places like Aldi, Lidl, B&M etc. You will find that the majority of this country are definitely still working class, and the majority of them are and will continue to struggle until the economy improves. They will also be the last ones for whom the struggle will ease, so long after the middle class notice an improvement, lower income families will still be under significant financial limitations.

@tootiredtoocare Er, I don't vote Tory, not that that's relevant. Interesting opening question though.

Ummm. I also get public transport to work, buy non-brand groceries from Lidl or Aldi and buy clothes from thrift stores. Seriously, c'mon. You said all of that as if it constitutes destitution!

@buzzheath I didn't finish my comment as I intended. The sharpest knives haven't fallen yet. If we're already all making the deepest cuts we can, what do we do when energy prices rise again, when food bills rise again, when council taxes and wage deductions go up again, when, basically, everything gets more expensive, because everything will? And, wages are definitely not increasing, in fact the vast majority of us are earning less in real terms than we ever have. I don't know what many of my friends will do, they're already at breaking point.

wow you say your not being smug and so on but the way this is worded sounds exactly that.
I was working up until I fell I’ll with some serious issues and had to be signed off work long term.
This is due to no fault of mine and already I feel the pinch what with electric and gas going up no not using gas as summer as you say but still is daily charges. Food is up and is a noticeable difference. I had to sell my car and I hardly get out but the amount they give you on the sick was hardly enough to cover before rising costs. So middle class working class or what ever other category you wish to add the cost of living is a crisis for millions of people and before it’s even bad we make choices to eat that day or not to cut down on anything and everything.

so I’m pleased many people will cope but my gosh makes me so angry we on benefits are judged even when we don’t want to be on them and struggle every darn day food banks will soon run out because it’s amazing begging for food ffs

some people need to learn empathy and common sense

Things are ok at the moment, but really anxious at the thought of what our fuel bills will be when our fixed deal comes to an end in October. We have a disabled adult son living with us. I’ve been thinking of not using and therefore not having to heat some spaces in the house eg we have a spare room I use to work from home and I’ll move my laptop to the kitchen. I’m buying an extra packet of rice or lentils every week now. Maybe we’ll have to think about cancelling some of the things my son appreciates such as a tv package, but it feels quite upsetting to have to do that. My husband is self employed and our clients have started paying slower so we are feeling the pinch without the massive fuel price increase yet in October. It’s not a crisis YET for us, but I don’t think it will take much more of slow payers and higher bills until we have a problem.

Its hard to know how widespread impacts will be. For now we are absolutely fine and can absorb expected rises but if there are still very high food/utilities costs in 4 years time, interest rates are higher & house prices have declined we would doubtless have issues as we have a fairly big mortgage. We sit somewhere in top 15% of household incomes according to this tool - ifs.org.uk/tools_and_resources/where_do_you_fit_in
I do wonder if it’s right as neither of us are higher rate tax payers. Regardless we both earn above average & live up north so I find it hard to believe the number of people being impacted is that negligible

Honestly baffled at some of the absurd comments in this thread on it and how genuinely ignorant many are to the actual affects of this.
There's a Facebook group for energy advice and people are already struggling with the most recent increase, having submitted meter reads back in March and now realIzing they are in debt because of estimated bills for years. People are quite literally going to chose between heating and eating come the winter
People will cut back on many things, this will have an effect on many businesses and in turn jobs and it will go round and round

With the 64% expected increase come October I'm unsure how we'll cope. Scottish Power were asking for a direct debit from me that comes to more than my rent

I'm looking like I will be cutting maternity leave two months early, taking on a new job and going back full time - purely for the financial aspect just so we can survive this cost increase

I’m not sure how many people you think have a combined household income of 6 figures but I don’t personally know a single household with over 6 figures coming in between them. The worst of the financial issues haven’t hit yet and won’t until towards the end of this year I don’t expect so it’s just too soon to say how much everyone will be effected. But as an example to counteract the April increase in my electric bill I cancelled my tv license and Netflix. Im not sure what I can do to counteract Octobers increase. The only thing I can really cut that’s left is the internet and that’s pretty essential nowadays since my kids use it for school.

I have to agree with you Afterfire

I think there are quite a few families who just about make the books balance each month. As the cost of food and fuel goes up but wages don't keep up with inflation, I think many people will really struggle.

You sound at best naive at worst ignorant and selfish

We haven't had the big hike in Gas bills yet. Come back in Winter and see what a crisis it is.

I think you are being unreasonable to think that being middle class is somehow an indication that you're not affected. Incredibly snobby of you and judgy. I think the energy prices and food prices are only at the beginning of the price increases we will see and I can't see salaries increasing to keep track of costs anytime soon so the situation will only get worse.

Many people will be hit harder than others. I do see huge queues of people going on holidays at airports and Ferry and Eurotunnel. Some people have leisure money still, that is obvious. But many haven’t, and it will be worse in the Autumn.
Those with the means to weather this need to open their eyes to the very real terror that some people are feeling. Perhaps if you do not need the refund we all will be getting, it could be donated to a family that does, somehow.

i understand what you mean. If I had a pound for the amount of times I hear people are “poor” but they afford an expensive family holiday each year, I’d be a millionaire. There are people who will really struggle, of course, but the majority won’t.

I never ever go on holiday but still do not regard myself as poor. Mortgage free and work part time.

@caringcarer another issue for fish and chips is changing tastes it's no longer a cheap takeaway. If we want something cheap it McDonald's, KFC etc, if it's a Friday night take away and we are spending what it would cost for fish and chips we are more likely to order a Indian or dominos.

We aren't worried about paying the bills or for next years holiday. But as NHS we won't get a inflation linked pay rise so are prioritising paying down the mortgage and debts at the moment vs going out and spending what is left. This will have a knock on effect as their is less money circulating in the economy

Given the predicted rise in energy bills, I can’t see how that won’t severely affect the ability of many to keep their heads above water, even the middle classes. I just don’t think most people have that kind of monthly disposable income. I think what might be different this time, compared to the 1970s for example, is that now lots of people, particularly the middle classes, have easy access to credit. People will be forced to use credit as a way to make ends meet, so that will mask the effects of an income that doesn’t meet outgoings. But I think we’ll see another “credit crunch” as a result when we’re in recession, and it won’t be pretty.

I agree with this. I've never been concerned about my monthly energy bill before. I'm going to move to paying for what I use, rather than monthly direct debit as well as looking for ways to save on energy.

The issue is also that standing charges are so high. Why is this, does anyone know and is it worth a lot of us complaining to the ombudsman about this?

"Everyone"

No.

There are plenty on middle incomes who wont.

The problem for them is they will still have to swallow massive increases in price on things whilst having a lot of fixed costs they can not change.

They will have managed finances fine, but a squeeze will cause many real problems. One of my friends has already said her bills have gone up from £160 a month to £400. Thats not a small amount. And tha comes on top of petrol going up and food and good going up.

No one is immune to this and there is te possibility that if you are mortgaged up to the hilt on higher income you still could face losing your home due to suddenly becoming insolvent as you outgoings exceed your income.

The middle class are going to be really hard hit, just in a different way. This will have a ripple effect which will impact on the poorest even more.

I know affluent people who are genuinely looking at the numbers and are rightly concerned.

People have budgetted their lives based on low inflationary rates for decades. They dont have savings and they don't have sufficient head room in their budget to take the inflationary rises.