Cost of living crisis: Fifth of parents in Scotland feeding family members before themselves

A fifth of parents in Scotland are feeding family members before themselves due to the cost-of-living crisis, research has found.

The survey for consumer body Which? found 22 per cent of Scottish parents are prioritising feeding other family members over feeding themselves, compared with 8 per cent of the population overall.

Around one in ten respondents said they were skipping meals due to rising food costs, with others stating the rising cost of goods is impacting their health.

The survey carried out by Yonder questioned more than 1,000 consumers in Scotland to understand the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. The poll also found nearly eight in ten consumers have been putting the heating on less due to the increase in energy prices.

Almost nine in ten people said they were worried about energy prices, while concern around food and housing costs have increased sharply compared with the previous year.

The proportion of people worried about food prices increased by 10 percentage points to 87 per cent in December, compared 77 per cent in 2021 and 63 per cent in 2020.

One 55-year-old woman told the researchers: “We are having to skip meals, not have the heating on and not going out due to fuel costs.”

Which? has estimated that if consumers tried to maintain the same spending habits, they would need to spend an additional £40 per week – or around £2,080 a year – on food, energy and fuel in December last year compared with December 2021.

That would mean almost a third of their household expenditure would be spent on just these essential goods.

As a result, Which? said many households have had to make changes, with many people cutting back on essentials, which increased to 39 per cent from 25 per cent in 2021.

The financial pressures being faced by people are now causing emotional harm, the study found, with some respondents being made anxious and suffering sleepless nights.

A 34-year-old woman who took part in the study said: “I’m severely depressed and worried all the time about being able to pay my bills and have enough money to feed and clothe my kids as well as electricity and gas to heat my home. It’s having a massive effect on my mental health, I feel anxious and stressed out all the time.”

A 54-year-old man also told Which? the cost-of-living crisis was impacting his sleep, saying: “I’m having sleepless nights worrying what else is rising in price.”

Nearly half of consumers in Scotland said concerns around the cost of living have left them feeling anxious and 22 per cent said they were struggling to sleep.

Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: “It’s hugely concerning that people in Scotland are losing sleep, skipping meals and sitting in the cold due to rising prices.

“As the cost-of-living crisis puts huge pressure on household finances, we are calling on businesses in essential sectors like food, energy and broadband providers to do more to help customers get a good deal and avoid unnecessary or unfair costs and charges during this crisis.”