Cost of living - the impact of rising costs on people in York
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Healthwatch York undertook a survey to understand how the rising costs of living were impacting people, particularly in relation to people’s experiences of health and social care. They heard from 200 people.
People are struggling to heat their homes, often resulting in the worsening of existing physical and/or mental health conditions.
People are reducing the amount of nutritious food that they buy and are skipping meals due to rising food costs. People with specific dietary requirements report an inability to afford the specialist foods they need.
Money is not stretching as far as it used to and people are already having to use their savings to pay bills. People have less money for non-essential items and feel as though they are surviving rather than living.
People report increased isolation due to a lack of money to spend on social and leisure activities. There is a general increase in anxiety around money and the uncertainty of the future often resulting in loss of sleep. Many spoke of their worries about managing the cost of Christmas. This is negatively impacting people’s mental health as they feel they are letting their children down.
People report a sense of failure in not being able to support themselves and/or their families. Those who are not personally