How are England's deprived areas coping with rising cost of living? - BBC Newsnight

Pressure is mounting on UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt over the upcoming cut in support for energy bills.

It comes as energy firms are due to write to customers to warn them of bill increases from the start of April within days.

While inflation may have peaked, the rate of food price rises is still running at nearly 17%, and typical household energy bills are set to rise to £3,000 per year next month.

Since December, Newsnight has been following people who are struggling to get by in Knowsley, the second most deprived borough in England.

The programme returned again last week to see how people there are coping amidst the big squeeze. Victoria Derbyshire reports.

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#Newsnight #BBCNews

[outsidersongs]

I think the core root of the problems here in the UK is deprivation of uk workers.

People working full time should be enjoying a comfortable life. They should be able to, as a single person, pay their rent, pay their bills, run a car, afford nutritious food and have enough left to save each month.

But instead they have everything against them. Cost of housing, cost of living, cost of fuel are all beyond the incomes of most people, especially younger adults who tend to be on lower wages. People are working more than one job often while still struggling to buy food. They are losing the opportunity to save, to start a pension.

We urgently need to sort this out. The cost of housing needs to come down. There should be rent cap laws in line with average incomes in localities for example. The cost of housing has become ridiculous too. The cost of a basic 3 bed semi or terrace should be realistic for the actual incomes people have. Trouble is extreme house values have put both buyers and owners in a trap.

Where I live, average incomes for poor families are very low but a small, very basic, 2 bed terraced house is hundreds of thousands of pounds. This means the working poor cannot even get on a property ladder.

And poverty negatively impacts health so the number of sick and infirm needing government assistance increases, and the system gets more punative to discourage what was never a choice to begin with.

If the working poor had decent lives, decent homes, could pay their bills, sleep at night, feed their families, actually ENJOY life then we would be a happy, thriving nation.

But right now - its just utter misery.

[glengamble]

Let me get this straight…someone actually criticized that young mother FOR GIVING HER CHILD FRESH FRUIT? Really?

[jackt]

Getting rather fed up of seeing greedy companies like Shell, BP, Esso etc making record profits while people freeze and starve to pay for those companies greed.

[justintimefortea]

It's pathetic that there are so many comments here dissing the lass who had strawberries. It seems that - according to these commenters - not buying strawberries is the answer to this huge problem! It reminds me of a time in the 60s when we (as a family... I was about 8yo) had to go through a 'means test'... we were in desperate need of food and help (6 kids ... 'daddy' ran away with a new girlfriend)... the guy doing the test was similar to the short-sighted, ignorant commenters on this thread... he walked into our house, saw that we had a dog ('Patch' we had him since I was a toddler) and said... '... if you can afford to feed a dog you dont need help!' ... then he left. It was winter... we were burning the internal doors and kitchen cabinets for heat... electric and gas both cut off as 'father' hadnt paid the bills... there was ice on the inside of the windows... 3 youngest were crying with hunger (we had eaten some chips the day before... nothing since then), BUT ... if we had a dog then we must be ok...?!
Exactly the same logic as you 'strawberry fools!'... 🙄😡

[andyroo]

I'm sorry for the people in the UK. I'm in the USA. We have similar problems here with housing costs and rents rising to unaffordable levels. It has put many people on the streets. I don't know how the UK system is run but It really shocks me how much heating costs have risen in just the last few years.

[muddundee]

Back in 1984 when i went self employed i earnt £10 an hour, Today min wage is the same £10 per hour, but according to the BOE inflation calculator £10 then is nearly £30 today. In reality our money has devalued by two thirds.

[markscott]

Six years ago I left the UK because the cost of living there even back then was too much and I did feel it would only get worse. Although I didn't think it would be quite as bad as it has got. Good luck to everyone back there.

[GKP]

What people should be upset about is the wealth gap! So many of the super wealthy are able to hide their wealth. The government need to tax them and help the poor.

[polygonalmasonary]

4:48 £60, 000 is nothing to a community of several thousand souls, your local MP gets paid a minimum of £84, 000 that’s ONE PERSON with their head in the public money trough doing a job that historically used to be done by passionate volunteers.

[aa-fwpw]

Simple. They're not coping. While companies like Shell and BP etc rake in the cash by the truckload.

[julianaylor]

So many deprived areas have expensive shops, and no discount stores or independent businesses, so cruel.

[nn.roberts]

The times I have visited the UK (I am from Norway) - the thought has struck me: The standard of housing is quite low. I am thinking particularly about insulation and building materials. Homes that have good insulation need less heating. Am I wrong, maybe?

[lisamaree]

Feel sorry for everyone.It’s the same over here in New Zealand.Food costs go up weekly.Power price hikes before winter as well.And there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.Very sad indeed.

[milobar]

In Poland, we have the same issue. Prices have gone through the roof. I feel so sad for the elderly and those on low incomes, single-parent households and those who are disadvantaged. The government is doing F all.

[supplementalhorsey]

Now's a good time to start thinking about planting a garden for this year. Got mine up to producing around 40% of the food we eat, and been filling up the freezer and shelves in the fall with preserved stuff.

[chezzachezza]

Bloody disgraceful shame on the government

[polygonalmasonary]

7:35 This women makes a significant point, the government should be helping the food industry reduce prices not handing out money that ultimately makes the rich richer. 😮😮😮

[mrutledge]

it's going to get worst. The cost of living will go up again and again.

[mariasolomon]

I live in London, and it’s hard, I am hoping to soon move out to up north, in quiet and cheap area, surrounded by nature.

[S.RMarigold]

I remember growing up in the same condition, after the bills were paid there was hardly anything left for food. Food banks didn’t exist. I remember going hungry, no heating or new clothes even having holes in the bottom of my shoes. That was 60 years ago! Sad that we seem to be going back to those conditions.