There are few financial tools that can dig us out of this catastrophe -- but there may be a scant few resources out there that can help lessen the strain.

The cost of living crisis in the United Kingdom is now in full swing, and the government appears reluctant to step in. Budgeting, now, isn't about saving -- it's about survival. 

We expected an increase in prices, at the least following COVID-19. The pandemic had a severe impact on supply chains, some products were impossible to get such as toilet paper, and businesses that barely made it through the lockdown yo-yo now had to work out how to repay the coronavirus bounceback loan. 

The general public -- including many individuals who were on furlough and receiving smaller payments or lost their small businesses or jobs entirely or fell through the cracks of support schemes for being "Ltd" company directors -- now has its freedom.

However, opening the cage door hasn't solved the personal and small business debt accrued through the pandemic, the mental health problems, the general level of exhaustion, or the anxiety of having to process and deal with COVID-19's impact and the increase in the cost of living. 

As noted by financial expert Martin Lewis, there are few financial tools that can dig us out of this catastrophe -- but there may be a scant few resources out there that can help lessen the strain.

Table of Contents

• What's causing the UK cost of living crisis?
  
• The energy crisis
• Tax changes, cuts, and freezes
  
• Food prices skyrocket
• Fuel prices
• Inflation keeps climbing
• Mortgages and rent
• How are people coping?
• What does budgeting mean now?
• Tips to help you weather the crisis
• Resources for parents
• Pets and vet care
  
• Food apps that can help save money
• Whom should I contact?
• Mental health services and resources

What's causing the UK cost of living crisis?

No single factor has led to a crisis of this magnitude. This is a combination of the pandemic's impact, the energy price cap lift, debt, rising taxes, inflation, the rising cost of goods and services, and, I would argue, a lack of governing balance supporting growth and tackling ground-level living problems. 

Due to the pandemic, economic uncertainty, and war, Brexit has had a wider impact than, perhaps, the separation from the EU would otherwise have had. With less of an economic buffer available, the economy feels the sting. 

The energy crisis: Nothing good to say

Martin Lewis, the founder of MoneySavingExpert, has advocated for consumer rights for years and has been in talks with the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, or Ofgem, concerning the price cap and household struggles. 

Lewis apologized earlier this month for saying Ofgem's changes are a "f---ing disgrace that sells consumers down the river." However, the sentiment is likely widespread, and there appears to be little political intervention to assist households. 

Ofgem determines the energy price cap, the default