A quarter of UK public struggling to pay bills, ONS survey shows

Almost a quarter of people in Britain found it difficult to pay their household bills even before increases in regulated energy prices took effect, an official survey showed on Monday.

Some 23% of people surveyed in March by the Office for National Statistics said it was difficult or very difficult to pay their usual bills, up from 17% in November.

Among payers of household energy bills, 43% said it was very or somewhat difficult to afford them in March.