Britain’s lowest-paid workers say finances have never been worse
The Guardian says Almost 80% of the UK’s lowest-paid workers say they are now facing the toughest financial squeeze of their lifetimes, according to new research by the Living Wage Foundation.
Liz Truss has averted a further increase in utility bills with her “energy price guarantee” – a radical measure that could cost taxpayers more than £100bn – but many poorer households are already struggling to make ends meet.
A poll of more than 2,000 workers earning less than the real living wage of £9.90 an hour, or £11.05 in London, found that 78% said this was the worst financial period they had ever faced.
More than half had used a food bank in the past year, while 42% reported regularly skipping meals for financial reasons. More than a fifth of these workers, 21%, said they had no money at all left over after paying for essentials, such as rent and food.