‘Terrified for this winter’: Why the cost-of-living crisis is far from over for families on a low income

As we approach another winter, politicians and the media are suggesting that the worst of the cost-of-living crisis is behind us. Headlines point to falls in the rate of inflation, and reductions in energy prices following their peak in 2022. But families on a low income with dependent children continue to face a daily struggle to get by. This is a consequence of the ongoing high costs for essentials (on which the bulk of their income is spent), and the continued inadequacy of social security support. Families are fearful of what another winter will bring, already planning for the cutbacks they will have to make. This rapid-response briefing brings together real-time evidence from families living in poverty with new, population-level analysis of the spending patterns of different household types.