More than 1 in 6 skipping meals and going without food in North East – TUC mega poll reveals

• New MRP poll reveals that in some parts of the region nearly 1 in 4 people are going hungry
• North East the worst region in England for people skipping meals
• More than half of people cutting back on heating, hot water and electricity
• Stark findings published as government scales back energy support and decides on whether to uprate benefits in line with inflation
• Poll reveals “scale of cost of living emergency” in every North East parliamentary constituency

The MRP poll of 10,000 people across the UK, reveals how the cost of living emergency is hitting family budgets in every single parliamentary constituency – and that more government action is needed to raise wages and cut bills.

Skipping meals

The poll – carried out for the TUC by Opinium – shows that 1 in 6 people across the North East are having to skip meals or go without food to make ends meet.

However, in eight of the region’s parliamentary constituencies this number rises to 1 in 5 or above.

Middlesborough (24%) has the highest number of constituents having to skip meals or miss out on food, followed by Newcastle upon Tyne East (22%).

Cutting back on food spending

The mega survey also reveals that nearly 1 in 2 (44%) residents are having to cut back on food spending.

This proportion varies again in different parts of the region.

In Newcastle upon Tyne Central (51%) more than half are cutting back on food spending.

However, in wealthier constituencies like Berwick upon Tweed this still affects 2 in 5 local residents.

Rising bills

The poll - published in the same week the government reduced long-term support for energy bills - shows households across Britain are still deeply worried about rising bills.

Over the North East region’s population, more than 1 in 2 (55%) are cutting back on heating, hot water or electricity.

And in some parts of the region this number is higher. North Durham, Hexham, Redcar, North West Durham and Wansbeck all have more than 55% of constituents cutting back on heating, hot water or electricity.

More than 1 in 20 (7%) of those polled report missing payment of a household bill.

However, this number rises to 12% of constituents in Newcastle upon Tyne Central.

In Berwick-upon-Tweed, transport secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan’s constituency:

• More than 1 in 9 have skipped a meal or gone without food. 
• 2 in 5 have cut back on food spending.
• Over half have cut back on heating, hot water or electricity.

Benefits and wages

The TUC says the findings were a “stark reminder” of the cost living pressures facing households throughout the UK.

The union body says the government must:

• Stick to plans to uprate universal credit, benefits and pensions in line with inflation, and bring forward this uprating to before April. This must be the first step on a route to higher levels of universal credit, benefits and pensions.
• Get pay rising across the economy by backing trade unions and allowing unions to negotiate pay rises across whole sectors.
• Give key workers in the public sector cost of living proofed pay rises.
• Raise the minimum wage to £15 an hour as soon as possible.

Today’s poll reveals that nearly 2 in 3 (64%) in the North East back raising the minimum wage to £15 an hour.

TUC Northern Regional Secretary Liz Blackshaw said:

“No one should have to worry about putting food on the table or heating their homes. But households across the region are struggling to cover even the basics.

“This polling lays bare the North East’s cost of living emergency.

“Food and energy bills are soaring, but real wages are plummeting.  

“Unless we get pay rising across the economy – and ensure benefits rise in line with inflation - we risk heading towards Victorian levels of poverty.

“The Conservatives should be working with unions to help households get through this crisis. But they want to make it harder for working people to win better pay and conditions.”

On the need to boost wages, Liz added:

“Instead of giving bungs to bankers and big business, ministers need to get money into people’s pockets.

“That’s the best way to boost spending in local economies and to deliver lasting growth.”