UK Cost of Living Squeeze Deepens as Housing Benefit Gap Widens and Energy Bills Rise

UK households are caught in a deepening cost-of-living pincer, with the gap between housing benefits and actual rents now leaving hundreds of thousands short each month. A Wirral mother faces a £125 monthly shortfall on her £550 rent, while the average gap for a two-bedroom property hits £158 and soars to £324 in London. Food banks report that 62% of private renters receiving housing support have skipped meals or heating in the past six months to cover rent....