One in 10 younger adults admits stealing at checkout
ONE in 10 younger people has admitted stealing items at supermarket selfcheckouts over the last year amid the cost-of-living crisis.
And one in 25 adults overall said they have intentionally skipped or incorrectly scanned items at the checkout as food and drink inflation reached record levels.
The most recent Office for National Statistics figures show a 19.1 per cent rise in the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages since March last year.
‘5% have started using food banks in cost-of-living crisis’
One in five adults has sought financial support to try to handle rising grocery costs, a poll for money-saving app ZipZero found.
Some eight per cent have used their overdraft or a credit card to pay for food and six per cent reported having to borrow money from friends or family to cover essential purchases.
A total of five per cent of adults have started using food banks, the survey suggests.
It found that younger adults are suffering disproportionately, with 37 per cent seeking financial support compared with five per cent of those over the age of 55.
ZipZero chief executive Mohsin Rashid said: “The rising price of food is massively destabilising household finances. With one in five adults seeking financial support, and double this number for young adults, there can be no doubt that food inflation is raising poverty levels in the country.
“The resilience and tenacity of Britons have been remarkable, with many finding new savvy ways to cut spending. But we are running out of room to manoeuvre.
“With a staggering number of adults actively turning to petty theft and food banks to reduce costs, food inflation is changing social norms and redefining life standards in the UK.
“Intervention, akin to the energy support scheme, is needed to prevent this crisis from spiralling further.”
Opinium questioned a total of 2,000 adults online.