UK inflation jumped to 3% in January, up from 2.5% in December, driven by rising food costs, higher air fares and an increase in private school fees.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), this is the fastest pace of price growth in 10 months.
Grocery staples such as meat, eggs, cereals and butter have become noticeably more expensive, with items like olive oil and lamb soaring by 17% and 16% respectively over the past year. Meanwhile, many households are bracing for further increases, as energy, water and council tax bills are all set to rise in April.
Higher wage bills and a forthcoming increase in National Insurance could also prompt some employers to pass on costs to consumers, further stoking inflationary pressures. “Life is a struggle,” one young mother, Gaby Cowley, told the BBC, noting that her weekly shop has nearly doubled over the past three years.
A key factor in January’s inflation jump was the inclusion of VAT on private school fees for the first time, effective from 1 January. The ONS says this “one-off” addition triggered about a 13% increase in fees at the start of the year.
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