Unplugging the Fridge in a Cost-of-Living Crisis By James Reed

To deal with the cost-of-living crisis, especially the rise in energy costs, I have taken some radical measures. The television went long ago; I tossed it out in the hard rubbish, as Australian TV is just hard rubbish. Then when the next wave of rises came for this financial year, I turned off the fridge. To get by I use powered, sorry, powdered, milk. I get fresh vegetables if I can afford them, or else use tin vegetables. As for meat, I go for tinned fish, as the tinned meats are just too salty. Electricity use is put to a minimum, using a wind-up light to see to get around my flat, so I don’t need to turn on a switch. Computer use is done at the community library, and like the farmers of previous generations, I work by the daylight, and sleep at night, what sleep I can get. If I am lucky, I can pay the electric service charge that takes up most of the bill. On a positive note, I no longer drink alcohol, not being able to afford it; going cold stone sober was the hardest thing about my descent into extreme poverty. But at least, as the rain comes pouring down here in Melbourne, I am not yet sleeping rough in the urban wilds.

I note that this sort of lifestyle, of extreme poverty producing a frugal mode of living, is becoming more common in the UK, where people are turning off the electricity, just to get by. According to a study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, around two million poor households are living like this now. The numbers are expected to grow.

https://www.naturalnews.com/2023-11-22-2m-poor-households-resort-to-unplugging-fridge.html

“According to a study conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), about two million poor households in the United Kingdom are resorting to desperate measures such as turning off refrigerators or freezers, just to be able to cope with ever-soaring bills.

The independent social change organization "working to solve U.K. poverty" said that in October, a quarter, or 2.8 million, of low-income households had incurred debts to pay for food, a third had sold belongings to raise cash, and one in six had used so-called community "warm rooms." Also, four out of five households on universal credit were going without food, switching off heating and not replacing worn-out clothing. Nearly a million households said that since May, they had to disconnect their fridge or freezer for the first time.

"Millions of families unplugging their fridges and freezers is the latest chapter in a long-running story of hardship," Peter Matejic, chief analyst at the JRF, was quoted as saying. "People risk becoming sick from eating spoiled food and going without healthy, fresh food. This risks lasting harm to the health of millions." He also said that the picture is not getting better for poor families even as inflation starts to come down. "Too many are taking out loans to pay for food, selling their belongings and using warm banks to try and get by," he said.

The findings came amid concerns among poverty charities that ministers are looking to reduce financial help for low-earning families in the incoming autumn statement next week by freezing the value of working-age benefits from next April, which would raise billions for the Treasury but make about nine million households lose out on an estimated average of £460, and push lower income families even further into poverty. JRF said that although the government had allocated more than £12 billion in targeted cost of living support, and inflation has begun to fall, 7.3m households had gone without food and other essentials in the last six months. This indicates that the crisis is far from over.

The paper also said there were rising concerns about the decreased financial help for low-income families that the government is expected to announce in its autumn spending statement next week. "It's unconscionable that the government is reportedly considering cutting struggling families' benefits to fund tax cuts," Matejic said. "In the upcoming autumn statement, benefits must be increased in line with inflation and local housing allowance must be unfrozen to support private renters with their housing costs."

Over 4,000 households were surveyed in the JRF’s study on the impact of the cost of living crisis.

JRF warns: Universal credit dependents are most likely to be without essentials

Low-income groups that are most likely to be going without essentials are those dependent on universal credit. They are black, Asian and mixed ethnicity households; families with a disabled member and families with children, according to JRF. Universal credit is a benefit to support low-wage earners and unemployed people in the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, a Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson stated that the cost of living payments have provided a significant financial boost to millions of households, just one part of the record £94 billion support package they have provided to help with the rising cost of bills. "This includes a 10.1 percent rise to benefits earlier this year, and we’re investing £3.5 billion to help thousands into jobs – the best way to secure their financial security in the long term," he said. “Ultimately, the best way we can help families is to reduce inflation, and we’re sticking to our plan to halve it this year, taking the long-term decisions that will secure the country's financial future.””