Snapshot: Rising cost of living causes worrying health issues

We found that even among people with a little money to spare, many were making changes that could affect their health for the worse. In particular, many people’s mental health could be affected by worry about rising costs.

• We surveyed 108 people at Carshalton Eco Fair on 29 August. The event makes an entry charge, which would tend to exclude people on the lowest incomes. The cost of living crisis is therefore likely to be even worse than our figures suggest.
• 4 out of 10 respondents told us they were cutting back on heating, and 3 out of 10 were cutting back on food spending.
• More people expect things to get worse this winter.
• People’s mental health is affected as well as their physical health. 1 in 3 people told us they had experienced stress about bills. Just under 1 in 4 people told us they go out less with friends and family – we know that support from friends and family is important to mental health. People repeatedly refer to feelings of anxiety, and in particular used the word “worried”.

We will continue to work with colleagues from the local NHS, Sutton Council and voluntary organisations to keep track of the health effects of the rising cost of living, and to highlight the available services. Information about relevant local services is available on the Sutton Council website.