Almost two thirds of people have cut back on essentials due to cost of living – poll for new campaign reveals

Almost 80% say their personal wellbeing has suffered as a result of the cost of living pressures

The findings lay bare the breadth and depth of the ongoing cost of living crisis:

Almost two thirds of people (63%) have cut back on essentials, such as groceries and utilities, as a result of the cost of living.

40% of people have £100 or less left at the end of each month after paying for bills and essentials. 8% are left with no money at all, while 5% are forced into debt after paying for these unavoidable costs.

Almost 80% say that the cost of living has negatively affected their personal wellbeing (79%), and how they’re feeling about the next 12 months (78%).

Close to two-fifths (37%) have been impacted a lot by rising energy bills and the cost of food (37%).

Half or more of the public say it is harder to pay their energy bills (51%) or to afford other essentials such as food, water and clothing (50%), than it was five years ago.

The polling, undertaken by Survation for the Cost of Living Action campaign (formerly known as Stop the Squeeze), also found that the cost of living is by far and away the biggest issue for the public. A huge 63% cite it as one of the top three most important issues to them personally, significantly outstripping health (38%), immigration and asylum (37%), and the economy (33%). It is also seen as the most important issue facing the country as a whole, with 56% naming it in their top three, significantly ahead of immigration and asylum (46%) and the economy (37%).

The public is also critical of the current government’s response. 63% think it has managed the crisis poorly, while even more people (69%) say its handling of the situation has fallen below their expectations. 43% hold this government most responsible for the ongoing crisis – the most popular response and far ahead of previous governments (31%) and large energy and utilities companies (29%).

The Cost of Living Action campaign, which is relaunching today, is calling for the government to put an end to the cost of living crisis and make sure it never happens again. The campaign is a coalition made up of 37 civil society organisations and grassroots groups, united around a series of practical demands to reduce costs, increase incomes and introduce fairer and better taxes on wealth.

The survey also shows a clear majority of the public supports Cost of Living Action’s proposals for tackling the crisis:

• 63% support cutting energy bills by cracking down on profiteering and shifting to ownership for the public benefit, vs. only 11% who oppose.
• 60% support wages in line with the cost of living for all, with fair pay agreements across the economy, vs. only 11% who oppose.
• 56% support bringing down housing costs with large-scale social housebuilding and private sector rent controls, including majorities across all housing tenures (owner occupiers, private renters and social renters). Only 13% of respondents oppose the policy.
• 53% support increasing the social security minimum to ensure that everyone can afford the essentials vs. only 17% in opposition.
• 53% support generating billions through more and better taxes on wealth, targeting the super rich, fossil fuels and banks, with only 18% opposing.
• When asked who should contribute more to pay more in tax to help bring down the cost of living, 53% name those with over £10 million in wealth and 48% name large energy and utility companies.

Crucially, all of these policies are supported by the majority of people intending to vote Labour at the next general election and the majority of people intending to vote for Reform.

Yuan Yang MP, co-convenor of the Living Standards Coalition and an MP working with the (COLA) campaign, said:

“The Cost of Living Action campaign has identified a critical challenge for those of us in Westminster to grapple with: that we need a holistic approach in order to create growth while tackling the cost of living crisis. As their campaign has correctly identified, this approach requires increasing incomes, reducing costs, and fairer taxation."

Conor O’Shea, Campaign Coordinator for Cost of Living Action, said:

“The cost of living crisis hasn’t gone away, it’s got worse. Millions of people are struggling with sky-high costs, and left in debt or with next to nothing left after paying bills each month. It’s no wonder people are feeling so worried and angry.

“The government must deliver transformational change that truly responds to the scale of the crisis. That means making the essentials affordable for everyone, ensuring everyone has access to the income they need to live well, and rebalancing the tax system with more and better taxes on wealth.”

Hannah Peaker, deputy chief executive of the New Economics Foundation, a member of the COLA coalition, said:

“At a time when we have been reminded of the lengths some politicians will go to protect the wealthy, this polling shows just how exposed most people are to the cost of living crisis. People are still struggling with sky-high energy, food and housing costs, while wages continue to lag behind.

“The government has said tackling the cost of living is its top priority, but that won’t be achieved by waiting on growth that may never happen.

“Instead, ministers should treat economic security as a lever for growth by investing in public services, financial support for those who need it, and a swift path to a low-carbon economy.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Cost of Living Action (formerly known as Stop the Squeeze) has been campaigning on these issues since 2022, but we are relaunching with a new name and new demands in February 2026. The campaign is led by a core steering group of three organisations: the Economic Change Unit, Tax Justice UK, and the New Economics Foundation. The coalition is made up of 37 civil society organisations and grassroots groups, united around practical demands to reduce costs, increase incomes and introduce fairer and better taxes on wealth. A full list of members is available on our website (live from 11/02/26).

2. The polling of 1,001 UK residents aged 18+ was undertaken by Survation for Cost of Living Action for the Economic Change Unit (ECU), between 20-26 January 2026.

3. For further information or for broadcast media enquiries, please contact Conor O’Shea, Campaign Coordinator, Cost of Living Action (E) conor@econchange.org.