Maybe some will think I'm just having a rant but the government (in the UK) says that inflation is around 3-4%, I'm disabled, can't work and am on benefits which are looking to rise by 3.1% but not until April.
Today I went to the supermarket (Asda) to buy a few bits and was absolutely disgusted to see some of the items I buy on a regular basis to have increased quite drastically.
Two items on my list are a pack of 6 tins of dog food and a 5kg bag of dry dog food, I last purchased both of these items on Saturday (5 days ago) for £2.70 & £7.00 respectively, these prices had been the same for around 6 months. Imagine my horror when I approached the shelves this afternoon, only to see that these items are now £3.40 & £9.90 respectively - increases of 70p and £2.90.
This increase across the two items equates to more than 37% and that's without increases of 40p on a bag of apples, 70p on shampoo, 15p on a tin of beans etc etc.
The 3.1% increase I'll get on my benefits in 3 months' time will amount to about £5.00/week and is our government's way to try to help us with the extortionate increases in the cost of gas and electricity, and to help with inflation. How on earth is anyone meant to survive with a 3. 1% increase when prices are increased by 2, 3, even 10 (or more) times that?