Only 1% of UK firms offer cost-of-living payment to staff: ONS

Just 1% of British businesses have offered their staff a one-off cost-of-living payment, something the Bank of England had recently flagged as an upside risk for inflation pressure, an official survey of businesses showed on Thursday.

The Office for National Statistics said 5.5% of companies employing more than 250 staff had offered such a payment in the three months leading up to mid-July.

However, a lower proportion of small companies had done so, leaving an aggregate of 1.1% for all businesses.