Introduction

Since 2021, the price of essential goods, such as food and fuel, began increasing faster than household incomes. Many people noticed that while they were being paid the same amount, what they earned felt a lot less than it did before and that in a lot of cases the money in their pocket was not able to cover necessary bills and expenses.

For some, the effect of this has been manageable, they may have to make a few small cutbacks here and there, swap to a different supermarket, or maybe save less each month, but overall, they can cope. However, for others, the impact has been much more severe. Many have reported being unable to feed themselves and their families, relying on foodbanks on a regular basis so they can eat. Others have had to drastically cut back on their energy bills, keeping the heating off for most of the day even during the colder months. There are also those who are struggling to pay their rent or their mortgage, facing the horrible prospect of losing their home and a place to sleep for the night. The likelihood of this has increased as more fixed mortgage deals come to an end.  

Overview of the impact on health and wellbeing

While some see the Cost-of-Living Crisis as just an economic crisis, the impact on health and wellbeing cannot go ignored. It has highlighted how our individual health and wellbeing is heavily influenced by the wider conditions of living such as how warm our homes are, the food we eat, our social connections and the money in our pocket.

When we talk about health and wellbeing, we are referring to three areas: physical, mental and social health and wellbeing. The cost-of-living crisis has impacted all these areas, and each one impacts the other in some way:

• Physically – As the price of heating our homes and buying food has increased, many have been forced to cut down on both expenses. Living in a cold or a damp home has been shown to severely affect a person’s physical health, exposing them to conditions which can lead to common viral infections, asthma, and cardiovascular disease. The increase in food prices has forced some people to drastically cut back on their food shop or even skip meals, weakening physical resilience, and hampering physical development for children and young people.

• Mentally – Financial strain has led to increased stress, anxiety and depression for many. Financial insecurity can also impact people’s sense of self-worth and increase feelings of shame and guilt. Children and young people may witness more arguments and stress in their home or could be facing stigma at school from others due their family’s financial issues and the need to cutback.

• Socially – Financial pressure can lead to social isolation as people cut back on activities and expenses that were once a source of connection and enjoyment. This isolation can lead to feelings of loneliness and further exacerbate mental health issues. Being able to fully participate in our communities and friendship groups is integral to good health and wellbeing.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council and partner engagement on this issue

The East Riding Health and Wellbeing Board meeting of 24 May 2024 featured a presentation about a ‘deep dive’ workshop held earlier in the year, regarding the cost of living crisis and how partners working as a system could seek to address it. This segment of the meeting is available to view from the video below (at approximately 41 minutes) and a PDF of the presentation is also embedded on this page, directly beneath the video.

Key themes from the presentation included:

Money and debt
This is the root cause of the Cost-of-Living Crisis, there has been an increase in prices for food and fuel. Conversations at the deep dive session revealed a gradient in the cost-of-living crisis, outlining how the increase in prices affects families to different extents:

• Making small cutbacks due to a small increase in bills and prices. Perhaps having to swap to a different supermarket and saving less to cover the increase in costs.
• More significant cutbacks and perhaps missing the occasional payment. Cutting back on their social life, and their children’s. Financially coping, but cannot afford an emergency, or a surprise payment.
• Regularly falling behind on bills and payments and facing a negative budget every month whereby outgoings are beginning to outstrip income. Only being able to focus on essentials, occasionally using a food bank. No social expenses.
• Unable to afford basic items every week and having to use a foodbank as a default. Having to make the regular choice between heating or eating.

Attendees of the deep dive session expressed the need to intervene early, and design different initiatives appropriate to each level on the gradient. Families may well experience dramatic yet anticipated moves from one level to another, for example, if a mortgage rate deal comes to an end. Council Tax debt is often an early warning sign for more complex needs, but the point was raised that individuals with council tax debt may not want to engage with the council or approach it to ask for help. The ripple effect of the increase in prices was also a central topic of discussion, referencing ‘people simply existing’, and having no funds to pay for a social life and feeling more isolated and lonely as a result, The impact on children and young people was also discussed, whereby parents had to cut back on activities for their children, in some cases resulting in them facing stigma from their peers.  

Transport
This was a recurring theme in many conversations. Attendees did outline the issue of affordability regarding public transport, however, a primary area of focus was the lack of awareness regarding alternative transport provision. Attendees repeatedly expressed the need for providers, in all contexts, to consider different transport needs when they come into contact with residents and advertise alternative options from a range of system providers.

Housing
Similarly, conversations on the topic of housing uncovered perennial issues which have been exacerbated by the Cost-of-Living Crisis for those already in their own home (rented or owned). Due to a rise in prices in other areas, people are less able to afford repairs and replacements, with more essential things (food, fuel and household bills) taking priority. However, this can snowball to have an impact on health and wellbeing. Out of date heating systems which are expensive to run and expensive to replace. Being unable to afford home repairs/alterations even when desperately needed. Families cannot financially afford emergencies.

For those looking for a new home, attendees highlighted a trend of people looking for rented properties but being unable to find similar properties/suitable ones for the same levels of rent. Regarding social housing, people reported that more residents are failing affordability checks due to other financial issues. In some instances, people are also being housed in very isolated areas with no social connections, and very limited transport options.

There was also a specific issue of the Council ripping out carpets meaning people are moving in with concrete floors and being unable to afford new ones resulting in issues adversely affecting physical health mainly due to the cold. The Hull Poverty Truth Commission have helped alter  the approach taken in Hull regarding this issue.

Food
Many families are having to change their eating habits to mitigate the increase in food prices. For some families, these changes have been minor, such as changing to a different supermarket, whereas other families have had to make much more significant changes. Hunger will have a huge impact on a person’s health and wellbeing, especially for children.

Attendees shared that there had been a 30% increase in the usage of food banks across East Riding. Furthermore, many reported a change in demand whereby many foodbank users are requiring full, regular food shops as opposed to the odd few items. Furthermore, many people are coming to foodbanks with complex cases and multiple needs. Volunteers have expressed uncertainty of where to send residents with these needs, or what information to provide.  Foodbanks continue to be one of the main ‘front doors’ into the system’.

Digital
Some attendees noted how, during the Cost-of-Living Crisis bills such as phone contracts and internet packages have been amongst the first to be cut. However, there is a huge reliance on digital outlets for Cost-of-Living support, meaning key messages may be missed by those who need to hear them most. While free Wi-Fi is available at libraries, leisure centres and welcoming spaces, some did raise the issue that opening times may be inaccessible for many.

Individual Behaviour, Family and Friends
In regard to the inner circle of the conditions of living wheel, attendees discussed the mental health issues which have emerged as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. Many people are feeling stressed and anxious about their finances. With this stress, attendees reported residents who had been badly affected experiencing feelings of lack of self-worth, with a lack of purpose, having to cut back on social activities and things they enjoy has meant many people feel like they are simply existing, not living.

These money related stresses are predominantly affecting working age adults; however, attendees did talk about the ripple effect this is having on children and young people who will see their parents and family becoming more stressed and in turn, become upset about this themselves.

This stress also turns people away for asking for help. For those who work a full-time job, and have children, who are also facing financial pressures, they simply don’t have enough time to reach out, or when they do, the phone lines are closed. The stress of navigating the system turns people away.

In November 2023, East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Cabinet received two updates regarding the Cost-of-Living Crisis.

• The first of these looked at the Household Support Fund and how the Council has previously used this money to assist residents in need, and outlined future plans for how the remaining money should be spent. You can watch this update below, which starts at 27 minutes and 30 seconds.
• In addition to the support provided from the UK government through the Household Support Fund, the Council has also established its own Cost of Living Working group. The second update outlines the work this group has been undertaking alongside partners such as the Citizens Advice Bureau. Feel free to watch this update below which details the work undertaken to support residents in need, which starts at 42 minutes into the video.

Further information (including partner dashboards)

• Joseph Rowntree Foundation – The impact of hardship on primary schools and primary and community healthcare
• Citizens Advice – Cost of Living dashboard

Support

If you, or someone you know, needs support regarding the cost-of-living crisis please visit the Council’s Help for Households webpage which lays out all the local support on offer depending on your needs, you can also contact the local Citizen’s Advice Bureau by following this link.