Cost of Living Crisis 2022-23

Briefing Paper: Cost of Living (July 2022)

Cost of living – Best practice review (July 2022)

This report is an analysis of best practices across councils in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland in response to the cost-of-living (COL) crisis. To prepare for the report, material was analysed from a wide range of sources including local authority websites, news articles, online archives, independent think tank reports, and voluntary sector reports.

The report gives a brief history leading up to the COL crisis and it provides recommendations from the best practice analysis from councils across the four nations of the UK, for example, dealing with food and fuel poverty and building partnerships with community, voluntary and faith sector. Finally, it details the case studies and examples that were researched.

Cost of Living Crisis: Literature Review and Multiple Councils Best Practice Comparative Analysis (July 2022)

The above reports take the form of a two-part presentation.

The Literature Review takes a critical look at the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, both on Wirral residents, and people throughout the UK. It identifies the emerging themes cutting across the literature and examines the causes and interconnections between all themes.

The Multiple Councils Best Practice Comparative Analysis identifies the key impacts and challenges facing local authorities across the UK. Examples of some of the responses and solutions raised by councils, and recommendations of best practice going forward.

In October 2022, Wirral Council’s Qualitative Insight Team spoke to nine Wirral residents about their experiences of the cost-of-living crisis. The following report and videos provide a summary of the findings.

Case Study Report (October 2022) 

The report above provides a summary of themes and opportunities that were identified. The report includes written case studies of resident’s experiences.

The following videos share the stories of four people the researchers spoke to, including a business owner (Rafia), a couple (Pauline and Jack) and a single mother (Becky).

Case Study Video: Rafia's Story

Case Study Video: Pauline and Jack's Story

Case Study Video: Becky's Story

Community, Voluntary & Faith Proforma Analysis (October 2022)

In October 2022, Wirral Council’s Qualitative Insight Team gathered insight on how the rising cost-of-living was impacting community, voluntary and faith (CVF) sector organisations in Wirral. This report provides a summary of insight gathered from 24 CVF sector organisations including, the challenges and concerns they have as organisations around the rising cost-of-living, the impact of the rising cost-of-living reported by Wirral residents who access their organisations, and what additional support would benefit these CVF sector organisations and Wirral residents to mitigate against the rising cost-of-living.

Wirral Council - Policy and Resources Committee Report - August 2022

This report is prepared for an extraordinary meeting of the Committee called to enable the Council to respond to the cost of living crisis affecting the Borough and its residents caused by the current and predicted high energy costs and rapidly rising inflation impacting on business and residents’ incomes.

This supports the pledges in the Wirral Plan:

Brighter Futures to ensure children get the best start in life and are not subject to, as much as possible the impact of families in poverty. The support provided across the system will help families to mitigate the impact of the cost of living crisis.

Inclusive economy by supporting residents and businesses to maintain employment to ensure household income is forthcoming and employment opportunities are available

Active and Healthy Lives to ensure residents do not suffer long term impact of poor physical and mental health as a result of the crisis and help and support is available through partners to prevent this at an early stage as possible

The report affects all wards in the borough and is a key decision.

Impacts of winter pressures and the cost-of-living crisis on adults in the UK

This Department of Health & Social Care document presents summaries of ONS publication ‘Tracking the impact of winter pressures in Great Britain: November 2022 to February 2023’ and Resolution Foundation report ‘Hoping and Coping: How families were faring in March 2023’

Hoping and coping: How families were faring in March 2023 (Health Foundation) Families in the UK found themselves in the midst of a cost of living crisis over the winter. Inflation has skyrocketed over the past year, with prices still over 10 per cent higher than a year ago. In response to the squeeze, the Government provided £47 billion of support to households in 2022-23, offsetting around three quarters of the rise in energy bills since 2021. However, this support was not enough and has meant that households have had to find ways to cope on their own. Drawing on their second cost of living survey of over 10,000 individuals, this report, funded by the Health Foundation, examines what action people have taken in the face of rising prices, and shows how the crisis has affected living standards and health, looking specifically at the impact across different income and age groups.

Tackling the cost of living crisis and impacts on health and wellbeing The ongoing cost of living crisis is having a significant impact on health and wellbeing with particularly acute challenges being faced by groups who already experience health inequalities. It is also impacting on people’s  experiences of health and care services and on voluntary, community and faith organisations who provide support for people’s health and wellbeing. This report from VCSE health & wellbeing alliance looks at the key actions health and care policy makers, commissioners and provider organisations can take to reduce and mitigate impacts. 

Cost of living Update - Office for National Statistics Their regular update brings together information and official statistics on the cost of living in the UK. The UK Economy roundup provides a short summary of new publications on the cost of living and the economy.

Cost of living hub - Local Government Association This hub has been designed to share best practice and help councils to support their residents with the rise in the cost of living. Case studies and resources can be found for each topic area in the pages below.

Fuel Poverty, Cold Homes and Health Inequalities in the UK - Institute of Health Equity This is the third review of fuel poverty and cold homes from the Institute of Health Equity, following on from the briefing commissioned by PHE in 2014 the report commissioned by Friends of the Earth in 2011.

Poverty and the health and care system: The role of data and partnership in bringing change Poverty causes ill health, drives inequality in health outcomes and increases use of health services. This King's Fund long read with the Centre for Progressive Policy considers how successful sharing and acting on data can support health and care systems in mitigating, reducing and preventing poverty's effects on health.