Nearly a quarter of people in the UK say they are struggling to pay household bills even before the new hike in regulated energy prices takes effect, an official survey from a leading body reveals.

All Britons, including both low- and high-income households, have experienced “similar annual inflation rates” since 2014 despite different spending patterns, a new study has found.

COVID-19 infections across the UK hit record high levels in all parts of the country just before Christmas, with an estimated 2.3 million cases, new figures show.

Around one in six Britons have been unable to buy essential food items in the last two weeks due to a shortage of products and a supply chain crisis, statistics show.