The issue British people are most worried about

Brits are mainly worried about the rising cost of living above all other issues, a new poll has revealed.

More than half were concerned about the increase in food, fuel and energy prices, according to a survey from research company Redfield & Wilton Strategies.

The poll showed 54% were worried about the rising cost of living, 14% the pandemic, 14% a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, 11% climate change and 4% Downing Street parties.

It comes after the UK's annual rate of inflation rose by 5.5% in the 12 months up to January, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported.

This is the highest since March 1992 and has been largely driven by increases in energy prices, with bills set to rise in April after Ofgem raised the price cap earlier this month.

The ONS added that wages in the UK saw their biggest squeeze since 2014 in the three months to December as income growth slowed.

Average real-terms total pay remains lower than before the 2008 financial crisis.

Weekly earnings, including bonuses for the three months to December rose 4.3% year-on-year, compared with 4.2% growth for the quarter to November.

But once adjusted for inflation, total pay fell on the year by 0.1% – the first negative growth since mid-2020.

Watch: Cost of living crisis: Thousands of renters could lose homes within months

Another poll showed more than eight in 10 Scots are worried about soaring energy bills despite measures designed to take the sting out of the cost of living crisis.

Some 84% of adults north of the border told YouGov pollsters they are concerned about the huge rise in electricity and gas prices set for April, with almost half telling the Citizens Advice Scotland (Cas) survey they are very concerned.

Kate Morrison, fair markets spokesperson at Cas, warned the “cost of living crisis threatens to squeeze household budgets to breaking point”.

She said: “With energy bills set to soar, lots of us are worried about the impact that will have on household budgets, but what is especially concerning here is that even taking into account the support people will get from both the Scottish and UK governments, people are still worried about struggling.”

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Garry Lemon, director of policy, external affairs and research at the Trussell Trust charity, warned Britain risked "sleepwalking into food banks being part of the welfare state" as the cost-of-living crisis worsened.

He told Yahoo News UK the worst is yet to come, and that he is "really scared" about the deteriorating situation.

He added: “It makes no sense to me that we as a society are allowing so many people to fall to this level."

The Trussell Trust has seen a huge increase in the use of its food banks in the past decade.