Three million UK households are being forced to skip meals and cut family visits amid cost-of-living pressures and collapsing consumer confidence, according to a survey by Which?. The consumer group's latest Consumer Insight Tracker found that consumer confidence fell to minus 62 this month, its lowest level since the height of the cost-of-living crisis in 2022.
Economic Outlook
Some 71% of UK adults believe the UK economy will worsen over the next 12 months, while just 9% think it will improve, the poll suggests. Which? found that 85% of UK adults are now worried about food prices, up from 83% in February.
Changes in Shopping Habits
This concern is forcing lifestyle changes, as two-thirds of households (67%) have made at least one adjustment to their shopping or eating habits in the last month to reduce how much they spend on food. The most common adjustments were buying cheaper products (43%), buying more supermarket budget own-range items (37%), and buying extra items when on promotion (31%).
The survey also suggests that 15% of UK households are going without some foods, and one in ten – equivalent to three million households – are skipping meals to keep the cost of their weekly shop down. Some 83% are worried about fuel prices, up from 71% in February, and 69% have made adjustments to their driving habits to battle costs, with knock-on effects for their social and family lives.
Impact on Social Lives
The most common adjustments included making fewer leisure trips over the last month (33%) and planning journeys more carefully (23%). About one in eight said they had visited friends and family less (13%). In the month to April 10, over half (53%), or an estimated 15 million UK households, made adjustments to cover essential spending, such as cutting back on essentials (29%), using savings (25%), selling possessions (9%), or borrowing from friends or family (9%).
Financial Strain
Some 7.7% of UK households missed a house bill, loan, or credit card payment. Which? is calling for urgent policy interventions outlined in a manifesto launched in Parliament this week to tackle unfair rip-offs and improve access to essentials, including a reform of the Healthy Start food scheme.
Which? warned that its value had failed to keep pace with food inflation and is urging the Government to uprate payments, expand eligibility to all families on Universal Credit, and encourage supermarket support to ensure those struggling most can afford a healthy diet.
Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: “Our latest research highlights the deepening strain not only on household finances, but also on people’s physical and social wellbeing as cost-of-living pressures bite. Many are already making difficult choices, such as skipping meals. Without meaningful interventions the number of people taking drastic measures is likely to increase. We need to see urgent action, as set out in our Cost of Living Manifesto, to address these costs and help restore confidence before even more households are pushed into serious financial difficulty.”
