Recent figures reveal the scale of the cost of living crisis across Wales. Nearly two-thirds of those questioned in the country (65%) feel forced to make financial cuts of some kind, while some admit to feeling “financially desperate”.
These figures come from a poll undertaken by Focaldata for our campaign group, 38 Degrees. The responses from more than 24,000 people, including 1,304 in Wales, paint a picture of what the cost of living crisis means for finances in households across the UK.
We conducted this research because the “cost of living crisis” is a phrase we’ve all become far too used to hearing over recent years – and we wanted to remind people of the real suffering that lies behind those words. From the desperate families who can’t afford to put food on the table or keep a roof over their head, to the thousands more who’ve had to cut out the little things that make life enjoyable, most of the country is feeling the effects of financial hardship.
Cost of living impacts
Respondents were asked to place themselves in one of five categories, from ‘well off’ to ‘financially desperate’. This revealed that one of every four (25%) respondents in Wales were ‘worried about their financial future’. While currently keeping up with essential payments, they feared they would no longer be able to do so soon, and had no room for extras.
A further 32% were ‘getting by, but making cutbacks’. While not concerned about affording the essentials, they were cutting down on ‘the things that make life enjoyable’.
Meanwhile, 8% described themselves as ‘financially desperate’, meaning they’re unable to afford basic essentials such as food, rent, or their mortgage. They are already taking extreme measures like skipping meals or missing rent payments.
The poll highlighted how people in Wales were faring compared to the rest of the UK:
Catching water from the leaks
Following the polling, we asked our supporters which category they would put themselves in, and what this meant for their lives. We were inundated with responses from members of the public, who told us about the deep cuts they were having to make.
Among those who placed themselves in the ‘I feel financially desperate’ category was Mark Johnson from Neath, near Swansea. Mark, 55, has been forced to make wide-reaching changes to his lifestyle.
He said: “There is no money to have the heating on as much as it’s needed. My house needs repairs, but I can’t afford it, so I have to make do with buckets to catch the water from the leaks. Very often there isn’t enough money to replace something that stops working, I just have to learn to do without. I can’t afford to go out socialising so I stay home. I’ve had to stop buying certain groceries because I just can’t justify spending that much on food.”
One of the people who described themselves as ‘getting by, but making cutbacks’ was Cherly Owen, 44, of Cardiff. She said: “We are managing but feel anxious about costs increasing and having less to save.” This means “fewer days out and not buying non-essentials”.
In the ‘worried about my financial future’ category was Michael Sturley, of Swansea, 64. He has had to cut back on essentials, and said: “Everything is so expensive and my finances don’t always cover my outgoings.”
A chance for change
But this scale of financial hardship isn’t inevitable, and it can’t be allowed to become business as usual. 38 Degrees is a community of over a million people who take small actions on issues they care about, a movement for a better Britain for everyone who calls it home. With supporters in every UK constituency, we come from all walks of life; we’re nurses, taxi drivers, parents, shopkeepers, pensioners, and more.
Whether it’s the wife who forced the government to review betting laws after the tragic loss of her husband to gambling-related suicide, or the hundreds of thousands who convinced the Culture Secretary to keep Channel 4 public, every time we win, we move our country a step towards the fairer, more sustainable place we’re fighting for.
This year, an election year, we’re continuing our campaigns demanding action on the cost of living crisis – one of the issues we know matters most to voters in Wales, and across the rest of the UK and Northern Ireland.
In an election year, we all have a chance for change: any party looking for election victory must make sure they’re offering real, concrete solutions to this crisis. From proper taxes on energy giants to fund support so everyone can heat their homes to measures to keep the roofs over our heads and kids fed – we need to see measures that mean we can all get back to living a little.
