Rising living costs compelling Britons to move to caravans

The rising cost of living in England has compelled a number of British people to move into static caravans as they could not afford living in regular houses owing to galloping inflation. 

According to the Guardian, there has been a rise of 19,000 households in England and Wales living in caravans and similar structures in the last decade, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The Guardian has also published a survey asking people to share their experiences if they have moved into static caravans, or similar, in the last three years as a result of the cost of the living crisis.

Tell us: are you living in a static caravan due to the UK cost of living crisis? https://t.co/AotQx102wS

— The Guardian (@guardian) March 4, 2023

According to Reuters, inflation in major British store chains hit a new record in the 12 months to February, reflecting the rising cost burden for retailers and consumers, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said.

Prices rose by the largest annual amount across all the main categories monitored by the BRC since records started in 2005.

Overall shop price inflation rose to 8.4% from 8.0% in January.

"Shop price inflation rose to another record high as retail prices across the board continued to react to the impact of soaring energy bills, higher running costs and tougher trading conditions brought about by the war in Ukraine," BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said.

British households face a tighter squeeze on their disposable incomes this year in the face of higher borrowing costs and as the government cuts back support on household energy bills.