This is a really interesting question, OP.
I've been thinking that the media annd so many people have latched onto the catchphrases 'cost of living crisis' and people having to decide between 'heating and eatiing'.
I hate it when these catchphrases are bandied about. It is just lazy reporting and journalism. I feel they are used to shut down reasonable discussions about decisions, choices and accountability of people.
There will always be persistently poor people and those who have brief periods of being poor, but whose circumstances can change. It is nothing new for people to be in crisis. No matter how we try and however much money is thrown at it, it will never go away.
We live in a capitalist society. For that to work, we have people at the bottom, in the middle and at the top. Don't want that, then let's give super socialism a try. Guess what that doesn't work either. You either have, China, Russia or Venuzeula as examples. But then you still have people at the bottom, in the middle or at the top, it just depends on your political allegiances or family coonections with those in power. You do though, just need to also give up a few personal freedoms and liberties. More so than in capitalist countries at the moment. But looking at Trumpland, who knows.
How about a halfway house such as the Scandinavian countries. Still have the poor (but not as poor as in the UK), middle and top earners. But those in employment have to pay a lot more tax to enable the governments to be so much more benelovent to those in need.
But the majority in this country are doing well as you've seen, going about their business. They may shop a lot more in the discount shops, but they do so out of choice, alongside those that do so out of necessity.
But do we make that majority a little poorer to make the poorer a little better off? Not a bad idea. That is, until that is happening year after year.
What happens then? The majority doing okay, don't feel so okay and the resentment starts. Why work full time when you can work part-time or not at all like your formerly poorer neighbour who now has a similar level of income?
What we need to stave off community tension and disillusionment with the established political parties is a wholesale root and branch reform of government, work, benefits and society. But unfortunately, none of the traditional parties would bite the bullet and implement wholesale changes. Because of kicking the can down the road, we may end up with a party that will likely make ultra radical changes that may alter our society negatively rather than for the better. But heyho, maybe they will not be as bad as feared and may be the needed catalyst for change by other parties.