March 2024 dates for benefits and pensions as cost of living payments end

This month, it was confirmed that the UK officially entered a recession at the end of 2023. The news came shortly after figures put inflation steady at 4 per cent, beating the odds of another rise – but still far away from the government’s target of 2 per cent.

Against this grim economic backdrop, the cost of living crisis persists. Bills, food prices and rents all remain stubbornly high as millions struggle to afford the essentials.

Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) shows that towards the end of last year, 73 per cent of low-income families on Universal Credit experienced food insecurity. One in six reported turning off