The cost of living crisis: Skipping British meals

What does new research reveal about the eating habits of British parents?

What are the unexpected expenses of the British?

What are the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development assessment of the UK economy?

How is the economic situation of the UK among the members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development?

The economic crisis and the increase in food prices in the UK have reached such a level that the media of this country, according to the latest research, report that about 30% of parents in this country skip their meals and rely on They are to the food bank. Skipping British meals is dangerous.

New research into the eating habits of British parents

The skipping of British meals is alarming. According to the research done by which? (Consumer and Commodity Information Acquisition Group in the UK), out of every ten single parents (father or mother who has sole custody of the child), three single parents, i.e. about 30%, to deal with the inflation and price crisis on top of the food, have omitted their meal. In comparison with this statistic, about 14% of families where both parents are present in the family.

Difficulty paying bills and feeding children

The skipping of British meals is due to the increased cost of living. According to this report, a 43-year-old mother living in the northwest UK told the group’s researchers that she could barely pay the bills and feed her children. Another British parent in Scotland told this research group: “I’m not eating properly so that I have enough money to feed and clothe my kids and still have enough to put in my electricity meter…”

Unexpected expenses of the British

This report adds that among other research results, about 15% of parents said they have difficulty paying for unexpected expenses, which are about 300 pounds. Rocio Concha, the director of this research group, spoke about the results of this survey: “While the government has a crucial role to play, supermarkets can also play their part in helping their customers navigate the tough months ahead.” The skipping of British meals is affected by unexpected expenses.

OECD assessment of the UK economy

Although all European countries are in an economic crisis and inflation has increased unbridled, according to the assessment of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the UK economy is in the worst condition compared to other G7 countries. According to the estimate of this international organization, the UK’s GDP is set to decrease by 0.4% next year and grow by only 0.2% the following year (2024). Of course, this figure is better than the previous forecast of the OECD, which ruled out economic growth.

UK’s entry into economic recession

The skipping of British meals indicates that the UK is entering an economic recession. The UK economy has entered a recession due to several successive crises. The inflation rate reached 11.1%, the highest level in the last 41 years. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey warned of economic challenges in the next two years, saying that the country has entered a prolonged recession. He announced at a press conference that the UK is facing a “very challenging” recession and that families will face difficult times. According to the OECD forecast, the German economy will shrink by 0.3 percent this year.

The poor economic situation of the UK among the members of the OECD

This is while the economic growth of most G7 countries will be small, according to the estimate. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has forecast that Italy’s GDP will grow by 0.2%, the United States by 0.5%, France by 0.6%, and Canada and Japan by 1% and 1.8%, respectively. According to this report, the UK economy will experience the worst situation among the G20 countries after Russia and Sweden. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has predicted that the UK government’s financial assistance to deal with the increase in energy prices will increase inflation, raise interest rates and, as a result, increase debt.

Rising costs for British households

The Monetary Policy Committee of the BoE has increased the base interest rate to 3% to curb inflation, the highest rate in the past 14 years. This rate of increase has not been recorded since 1992, and in this way, a few hundred more pounds will be added to the monthly mortgage instalments. British media have described this increase as painful for millions of citizens who owe the bank.

High inflation with rising energy prices

The OECD has predicted that the inflation rate will remain at 10% in the coming months due to high energy prices and will reach 2.7% by the end of 2024. The current state of the UK economy is a chronic crisis that has been exacerbated by the country’s exit from the EU. The UK is caught in a 15-year-old uncertainty. The government tends to think of itself as a dynamic, free-market place, but its economy lags behind many of the world’s rich nations. A deep hole has taken root in the UK economy and leaving the EU has worsened the situation.

The British were forced to skip meals

Statistics show that millions of low-income people in the country have been forced to skip meals as the cost of living crisis deepens. The Food Foundation announced that as the cost of living situation heightens, almost one in five low-income families experienced food insecurity in September, meaning that more people than in the first weeks of the quarantine due to the outbreak of covid-19 have been starving.

Rising levels of hunger in the UK

According to the latest survey of this foundation, the level of hunger in the UK has more than doubled since January, so nearly 10 million adults and 4 million children were unable to receive regular meals last month. This led to calls for more measures to be taken to protect vulnerable families. According to the Guardian, these requests include allocating free school meals to an additional 800,000 children due to reports of students’ meals being stolen by their classmates and the removal of some children’s lunches due to the family’s inability to provide school meals for their child or companion. 

Food inflation in the UK

Data showed that food inflation in the UK hit 13.9% in the 12 weeks to October 2, adding an extra £643 to Britons’ annual bills amid a cost-of-living crisis. Research by Kantar shows that food prices in the UK have experienced a significant jump compared to last month. According to published statistics, food inflation was 12.4% last month, which puts about 571 pounds more pressure on people’s expenses.

Increasing demand for cheap food

The increase in food prices is one of the main reasons for the rise in the inflation rate in the UK. This is while the increase in energy prices in recent months has fueled the rise in costs in all economic sectors of the country. Kantar Institute’s report shows that some items, including milk, have experienced the highest price increase, while the demand for cheap and economical products has increased.

The economic situation of the UK is not very clear these days, and the government’s financial plan, which the UK Government presented based on the criteria of the free market and the organization of the situation, has aggravated the situation. Meanwhile, the unprecedented inflation index and the unbridled increase in the cost of living have put the UK in the worst economic conditions of the last half-century. The skipping of British meals is due to the rising cost of living.