THE cost of living has dropped, according to a leading index, despite inflation staying well above the government target.

The majority of families are worried about inflation, and four out of ten people say they are too overstretched to handle any increase in the cost of living, research has indi

First published on The Broad Oak Blog (Sept. 7, 2010): ______________________________________ Adapted from my advice to a client this weekend: Price inflation is not uniform or universal. Food and fuel have risen in cost recently, but State Pension benefits are linked to a cost of living index and should therefore approximately keep pace with increases in the price of basic needs. In other areas (...

THE cost of living is continuing to rise well above target, as new figures yesterday revealed how consumers are being hit by the "stealthy enemy" of inflation.

There are plenty of pressing issues at the moment, but two in particular stand out: the cost of living and youth unemployment. Ed Balls lost no time in latching onto the first issue. On becoming shadow chancellor, he immediately attacked the government’s VAT rise and benefits changes, which he judged to be the main contributors to rising inflation. It has been a  successful tactic, sust...

Every household in Britain knows the true rise in the cost of living, and it certainly isn't just a few percent a year. This Financial Times article is very telling, and backs up what I and others have been saying for a long time: real inflation is far, far higher than the carefully-massaged official figures. Notice that what is termed disposable income is now little over a quarter of "average

A record increase food prices has kept inflation above 3 per cent and sparked warnings that the cost of living will keep rising.

Not the one The Guardian Leader meant to be making of course. The government announced benefits would no longer be pegged to the overall cost of running a home, but merely the cost of shopping. Everyone knows that the cost of housing tends to rise faster than that of baked beans, so the

Record inflation should not be used to set next year's rise in state benefits, ministers have been urged, because of concerns it would not be fair on working people.

Inflation has hit 5.2%, the highest in 16 years.  The massive increases in petrol, clothing and food prices have hit people hard - but so too have higher energy prices which have risen faster than any time since 1989. I suspect that people are feeling much more than a 5% dip in their spending power.  The real cost of living has been spiralling for months, with many people feeling the pai...