The Cost of Living Crisis Hits Many UK Households
The UK households have struggled with the cost of living crisis as incomes have failed since 2021. Skyrocketing energy prices and high consumer goods prices have pushed inflation to an unprecedented, more elevated level. The UK Households with lower payments have suffered even worse and faced the highest inflation rates. The inflation jumped to a forty-year high in April, and the food price hit the highest amount in a decade. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that the UK faces a long inflation period. The IFS has said the poorest families had faced an inflation rate three percentage points higher than the wealthiest families. The UK is experiencing a growing inequality as food inflation hits its highest level since 1982. Hundreds of people have to go to food banks, and many households need support to deal with their energy bills.
More British Households Fall into Destitution
The advice charity Citizen Advice has reported that more than 750 people went to food banks every day in May. One and a half million households will struggle to afford their food and energy bills in the coming year. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research has predicted that 250,000 homes will fall into poverty in 2023. The think tank has also forecasted that the UK will fall into recession in 2022. As the cost of living crisis keeps soaring, more people turn to the food banks in the UK. Some churches, schools, and individuals donate to the food banks to support the deprived people. Michelle Donnelly has a food bank where she has been collecting surplus groceries from supermarkets. She has said their food supplements are finishing sooner because more people go to their charity.
More People Need Food Banks
Today more families approach food banks in the UK, and charities have fewer supplements to make ends meet. Unfortunately, people with low-paid jobs still have to rely on food banks. Many adults in the UK had to eat fewer meals a day. One in seven UK adults has to eat smaller portions, skip meals, or remain hungry all day. Research by the Food Foundation has found that 57 per cent of British people have struggled with high food prices. Some families had to eat smaller portions of meals because they did not have access to enough food. The Food Foundation has warned that deprived people may rely on calorie-dense and nutrient-poor foods. The foundation has added that people may suffer health problems, so the government should act to solve the problem.
NHS Set Up Food Banks for Staff
The UK National Health Service (NHS) staff have struggled with growing prices like the other Brits. The NHS staff who cannot afford to pay rent and buy enough food rely on food banks. The NHS workforce faces a critical situation, so hospitals across the UK have set up food banks to offer emergency hardship loans. The NHS food banks have launched food voucher schemes to help the struggling staff cope with the rising prices. UK nurses, midwives, and healthcare assistants are in financial crisis, and most of them are out of pocket. The number of staff quitting their professions is increasing, which is terrible news for patients. Low payment has become an issue for the NHS staff, which forces them to quit their jobs. A lack of staff and financial resources will be tragic for the NHS services across the UK.
NHS Frontline Heroes Suffer Hunger
The NHS staff have worked hard during the Covid-19 pandemic to save the patients. The NHS staff had worked with no breaks, no leave, and on weekends throughout the pandemic. Although the NHS staff were under tremendous pressure, they handled the pandemic well. Any staff retreatment would make the NHS vulnerable and make running the pandemic impossible. The NHS staff had risked their lives and health during the tense period of the Covid-19 pandemic. The NHS staff were on the frontline and underwent enormous pressure and stress. Tens of thousands of doctors, nurses, and other health staff have caught Covid during the pandemic. The pandemic had a substantial emotional and psychological impact on healthcare professionals. They tried to provide the best care for patients while looking after their health care.
NHS Low-Paid Staff Suffer Poverty
During the pandemic, the health workers have risked their lives, but their employers have not valued their critical work. The lower-paid NHS staff compromise 45 per cent of its personnel who have crucial roles at different sections of hospitals. The UK government has not respected the dignity of the low-paid and the importance of the health workers. Many NHS staff with lower payments have reported a lack of opportunity to get better positions. They feel the employers do not support and value them and consider themselves invisible unless they do something wrong. Those who work as cleaners, porters, security, and administrations have crucial roles at hospitals, but they do not receive enough wages. They have helped the NHS recover from the terrible pandemic days, yet they do not have enough money to feed themselves.
Conclusion
The cost of living crisis has pushed many British households into poverty. Even people with jobs cannot afford the food and energy prices. The NHS staff who helped the country during the worst days of the pandemic cannot afford to feed their families. Hospitals have set up food banks for the NHS staff who cannot afford to buy food. The NHS staff helped the country handle the coronavirus pandemic and deserves more respect and attention. They should focus on their jobs with no worries about their daily costs. With their essential role in society, these people are among millions of others who struggle daily. Unfortunately, many households in the UK are under financial pressure because of inflation and the cost of living crisis. The UK government should end the misery for all Brits as fast as possible.
