By Riad Beladi
In the United Kingdom today, the cost of living has spiraled out of control for millions of single people and families. For many, 75% of their income goes toward rent, bills, and utilities, leaving little left for necessities like food. Even in areas with the lowest rent, households are being crippled by expenses, paying the equivalent of 340% in rent increases compared to previous decades. This squeeze on income has a profound effect, not only limiting lifestyle choices but suffocating entire sectors like restaurants, pubs, and the tourism industry.
If two people are working in a household, the pressure eases slightly, with housing costs taking up around 30% of income. But for single-income renters, the situation is bleak. This trend has been ongoing for years, locking renters into a cycle where they essentially become slaves to their landlords, paying off someone else’s mortgage. Government inaction, particularly when it comes to addressing the needs of lower-income families, has allowed this to continue unchecked.
A System of Inequality: Renting and the Rise of Financial Strain
What we see today is a widening gap between the wealthy and the rest of the population. It’s becoming more common for people to feel like they’re better off unemployed than struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living. In many households, fruits and vegetables have become luxuries. Meanwhile, the cheap takeaway industry is booming, raking in more profit than sit-down restaurants, a trend fueled by people who can no longer afford to dine out regularly.
The government’s neglect of low-income families has created a situation where living costs dominate. For those of us who remember the UK of the 1980s, it’s hard to believe how drastically things have changed. As a student in Central London back then, I worked as a waiter and lived comfortably in a one-bedroom flat in Zone 1. I could afford to buy new clothes every week, dine out, and enjoy the West End once a week. Today, even on a waiter’s wage, that lifestyle would be unthinkable. I would have to share not just a house but likely a room, and forget about the joys of theatre, restaurants, or nightlife.
A New Reality: The Burden of Financial Slavery
So how did we get here? The government has lost control over housing, wages, and inflation. Today, the UK is becoming a country of extremes: you either fall into the trap of working tirelessly to pay rent or you belong to the privileged few who can comfortably profit from a system that serves them. The economic divide is growing, and the system increasingly locks people out of opportunities for social mobility.
It’s time to ask ourselves hard questions. Why are we creating a society where basic needs like housing and food have become unattainable for so many? Why is the government turning a blind eye to this deepening crisis? If something doesn’t change, the UK will only see a further erosion of the middle class, and the dream of living and thriving in places like Central London will become even more unattainable.
This country was once a place of opportunity, but today, it’s forcing people into survival mode, making them slaves to the system. The privileged few may benefit, but for the rest, life is becoming harder by the day.
