Pensioners 'in tears' in reduced aisles amid cost of living crisis, supermarket worker reveals
3 May 2022, 16:10
We have people coming in each morning desperate for reduced food'
A supermarket worker told Shelagh Fogarty he's seen pensioners "in tears" if they can't find reduced food, whilst some come into the shop to save money on heating, as the cost of living crisis bites.
Real household incomes are projected to fall by 2.2% this year according to the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Caller James, who works at a Bradford supermarket, said: "We have people coming in each morning desperate for reduced stuff, sometimes we don't have anything and you can see they're actually crying because they're desperate for food.
"Mainly pensioners to be honest with you.
"A couple of weeks ago we had this woman come in. She came in as she wanted to get warm. She'd been out since 6am, just so she didn't have to use her heating."
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The caller said the situation got noticeably worse "just after Christmas time", when pensioners coming in seeking reduced food became an "everyday" occurrence.
Referencing the Prime Minister he added: "I think it's an absolute disgrace. I think it's about time he got his head out of his backside."
Boris Johnson was challenged over the rising cost-of-living during an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday morning.
He was asked what additional cuts Elsie, a 77-year-old viewer who had already cut her meals to one per day and travelled on a bus to keep warm, should make.
The Prime Minister replied he "didn’t want her to have to cut back on anything" before adding "just to remind you that the 24-hour freedom bus pass was something that I introduced".
