1 in 11 skipping meals and going without food in East of England

The MRP poll of 10,000 people across the UK, reveals how the cost of living emergency is hitting family budgets in every single parliamentary constituency – and that more government action is needed to raise wages and cut bills.

Skipping meals

The poll – carried out for the TUC by Opinium – shows that 1 in 11 people across the East of England are having to skip meals or go without food to make ends meet.

However, in four of the region’s parliamentary constituencies this number rises to 1 in 8 (12%) or above.

The Clacton constituency has the highest number of constituents having to skip meals or miss out on food, followed by Rochford and Southend East.

Cutting back on food spending

The mega survey also reveals that more than 2 in 5 (42%) of residents are having to cut back on food spending.

This proportion varies again in different parts of the region.

In Clacton more than half (51%) constituents are cutting back on food spending.

However, in wealthier constituencies like St Albans and South Cambridgeshire this still affects more than 3 in 10 local residents.

Rising bills

The poll – published in the same week the government reduced long-term support for energy bills – shows households across Britain are still deeply worried about rising bills.

Over half (53%) the region’s population are cutting back on heating, hot water or electricity.

And in some parts of the region this number is higher:

In Liz Truss’s South West Norfolk constituency more than 54% of constituents are cutting back on heating, water and electricity, while in Sir Oliver Heald’s North East Hertfordshire constituency the figure is 55%.

1 in 16 (6%) of those polled report missing payment of a household bill.

However, this number rises to more than 1 in 10 in Luton South and Rochford and Southend East.

Benefits and wages

The TUC says the findings were a “stark reminder” of the cost of living pressures facing households throughout the UK.

The union body says the government must:

*       Stick to plans to uprate universal credit, benefits and pensions in line with inflation, and bring forward to this uprating to before April. This must be the first step on a route to higher levels of universal credit, benefits and pensions.

*       Get pay rising across the economy by backing trade unions and allowing unions to negotiate pay rises across whole sectors.

*       Give key workers in the public sector cost of living proofed pay rises

*       Raise the minimum wage to £15 an hour as soon as possible

Today’s poll reveals that nearly 7 in 10 (69%) back raising the minimum wage to £15 an hour.

TUC South East Regional Secretary Sam Gurney said:

“No one should have to worry about putting food on the table or heating their homes. But households across the region are struggling to cover even the basics.

“This polling lays bare the East of England’s cost of living emergency.

“Food and energy bills are soaring, but real wages are plummeting.

“Unless we get pay rising across the economy – and ensure benefits rise in line with inflation – we risk heading towards Victorian levels of poverty.

“The Conservatives should be working with unions to help households get through this crisis. But they want to make it harder for working people to win better pay and conditions.”

On the need to boost wages, Sam added:

“Instead of giving bungs to bankers and big business, ministers need to get money into people’s pockets.

“That’s the best way to boost spending in local economies and to deliver lasting growth.”