Cost of Living
18 May 2026
Households Continue To Feel Cost Of Living Pressures
A newly published House of Commons Library briefing has highlighted how households across the UK are continuing to feel the lasting effects of the cost-of-living crisis, despite inflation easing from...
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16 Mar 2026
Rising Heating Oil Costs Draw Westminster Attention
Rising heating oil costs highlighted in last week’s Rural Bulletin have continued to draw attention in Westminster, as ministers step up scrutiny of fuel pricing amid volatility linked to tensions...
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09 Mar 2026
RSN Warns Rural Households Will Be Hit Hardest By Oil Price Surge
The Rural Services Network (RSN) has warned that rural households and businesses are particularly exposed to rising oil prices as global energy markets react to escalating tensions in the Middle...
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02 Feb 2026
UK Poverty: The 2026 Picture
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s UK Poverty 2026 report shows that poverty remains a persistent feature of life for millions of people across the UK, with little overall change in headline...
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29 Jan 2026
Why over 7,500 rural households have responded to a government heating consultation
by Malcolm Farrow, director of marketing and external affairs at OFTEC Over the past few weeks, thousands of oil heated households living in rural areas have stepped up to ensure...
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18 Nov 2025
IPPR Urges Government To Cut Energy And Food Bills
Ahead of the upcoming budget announcement, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has published new proposals calling on the Government to launch an Australian-style “war on bills”, with a...
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15 Sep 2025
Minimum Income Standard 2025 Highlights Continuing Shortfalls
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University have published the latest update to the Minimum Income Standard (MIS) – the income...
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28 Jul 2025
Consultation Opens on Proposed Reforms to WaterSure Scheme
DEFRA has launched a consultation on proposed reforms to the WaterSure scheme, which supports low-income households in England with high essential water use by capping their water and sewerage bills....
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18 Feb 2025
RABI’s Recent Impact Report Highlights the Mental Health Benefits of Its Grant for Farming Families
In 2022, RABI introduced its Return to School (RTS) grant as a response to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the farming community. The grant aimed to alleviate some...
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27 Jan 2025
Unravelling Household Costs: A Rural Perspective on Child Poverty
As rural communities continue to grapple with the challenges posed by the rising cost of living, households with children are facing increased hardship. The recent engagement work by Citizens Advice...
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