Cost of living on the rise, survey shows

Those in debt may find their problems exacerbated by the rising cost of living, with big climbs being seen in petrol and food.

According to the Daily Mail’s latest index, these hikes are taking place despite the fact that supermarkets pledged to make price cuts in January.

The survey revealed that a shopping basket with 37 items of basic necessity – such as bread, pasta, rice, cereal, meat products and dairy – came to £53.63, a jump of 7.5 per cent over the year.

It was also found that unleaded petrol is 30 per cent more expensive than 12 months ago, while the publication predicted that record energy bills will soon be received by the public because of the recent cold snap.

This forecast comes after uSwitch.com revealed that rising fuel bills are driving more people into debt, with 13 per cent more clients have to reach arrears arrangements with their suppliers in the third quarter of 2009.