Around three million households are skipping meals and reducing visits to friends and family as the cost of living crisis continues to strain finances and reshape daily life, according to new research from Which?.
Consumer Confidence at Lowest Since 2022
A survey by the consumer group found that consumer confidence has fallen to -62 this month, its lowest level since the height of the cost of living crisis in 2022. Concerns about food and energy costs remain widespread, with 71% of UK adults expecting the economy to worsen over the next year, while only 9% believe it will improve.
Food Price Worries Intensify
Worries about food prices are particularly acute, with 85% of adults now concerned, up from 83% in February. The findings show many households are changing how they shop and eat in response. Around two-thirds (67%) said they had altered their food habits in the past month to cut spending.
The most common changes include buying cheaper products (43%), switching to supermarket budget ranges (37%), and purchasing more items on promotion (31%). However, the research also highlights more severe impacts. Around 15% of households reported going without certain foods, while one in 10, equivalent to roughly three million households, said they are skipping meals to reduce grocery costs.
Fuel and Social Impacts
Concerns are not limited to food, with 83% of respondents also worried about fuel prices, up from 71% in February. Nearly seven in 10 (69%) said they have changed their driving habits, including making fewer leisure trips (33%) and planning journeys more carefully (23%). About 13% said they are visiting friends and family less often.
Over the same period, 53% of households, an estimated 15 million, said they had made broader financial adjustments to cover essential costs. These include cutting back on essentials (29%), using savings (25%), selling possessions (9%), or borrowing from friends or family (9%). The survey also found that 7.7% of households missed a payment on a bill, loan, or credit card.
Which? Calls for Urgent Action
Which? is calling for urgent policy action, including reforms to the Healthy Start food scheme. It says the scheme’s value has not kept pace with food inflation and is urging the Government to increase payments, widen eligibility to all families on Universal Credit, and encourage more supermarket support for struggling households.
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.”
She added: “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.”
