Rural areas 'hit harder' by cost-of-living crisis

Image source, Peter Cade

According to a new report, the cost-of-living crisis is hitting people in rural areas harder than people in towns and cities.

People in the countryside spend more on essentials like heating, transport and housing.

The report found that they earn less than their urban counterparts.

The price of houses have gone up in comparison to towns.

Rural house prices in England are 40% higher than in urban areas, with rural villages and hamlets increasing to 55 percent higher.

Low-income households in urban areas spend less on rent than their rural counterparts.

Many houses in the countryside are not connected to the gas grid and are more expensive to heat.

Rural households need more than 500 dollars to get out of fuel poverty, which is twice as much as urban households.

According to the Campaign for Better Transport, over 3000 rural bus routes have been lost or reduced in the last decade.

Rural households spend more on transport than urban households due to the fact that they are more reliant on cars. A higher percentage of disposable income is eaten by this.

Rural employees with the lowest earnings are paid 12% less than their urban counterparts.

Many rural areas are more isolated than maps due to out-dated infrastructure and a legacy of other factors.

The government needs to overcome policy silos and come up with an integrated approach for rural areas.

"Leveling up the rural economy to ensure that low wage levels can be improved, as well as supporting rural houses to become more energy efficient, should be included."

The Government has announced further details of the Energy Price Guarantee which will save the average household £1,000 a year based on current energy prices.

The Government will continue to support rural areas in navigating the months ahead, including the action we have taken to help farmers, such as bringing forward 50% of the Basic Payment Scheme funding.