 Decades of neoliberalism and austerity measures have hit millions of working-class households hard in the United Kingdom. The recent hike in fuel and energy costs have made things really cumbersome for working people in the country. On Wednesday, March 23, trade union united headed to the British parliament to protest the rising cost of liming. Unite union members along with Labour MPs organised a red box protest on the day the spring statement was being presented. The protest brought with them replicas of the Chancellor's red budget box emblazoned with the message we can't afford to live. The national insurance contribution, the increase in the energy costs, the stagnation of wages, all of this is going to have a direct impact on people's living standards. Fuel costs, whether that be a business, whether that be an individual, whether it be a family. Cost costs are increasing, inflation's increased to a 30-year high only this morning to 6.2. This is going to have a dramatic impact on people's lives. They're not going to be able to eat and eat at the same time. And that's why we're here to demonstrate and support and unite community unions. Amid the looming economic crisis and high inflation, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has tabled the spring statement or one of the two annual fiscal statements of the country. In a bid to reduce the cost of fuel, he has announced a 5 pence a litre cut to fuel duty till March 2023. The move has received widespread criticism as there has been an increase of 18 pence per litre for petrol and 27 pence for diesel over the past month and a 5 pence cut won't do much. Currently, a litre of petrol costs £1.67 and diesel £1.80, of which a major part is fuel duty. Fuel duty is a government tax and has been fixed at 58 pence for the past 11 years. According to the end fuel poverty coalition, fuel poverty will triple and hit 6 million households by next month. Fuel poverty is defined as the condition of being unable to keep one's home adequately heated. It currently affects anywhere between 1.4 million and 2 million homes in England. In February, Britain's energy sector regulator Ofcom announced that its cap on energy prices would rise by over 50% in April this year. The cap sets the prices that suppliers can charge for each unit of energy as well as the standing charge. Approximately 22 million people are likely to see an annual increase on their energy bills of £693. This will increase the burden on working people who are already struggling due to inflation. The national insurance set to increase in price by 1.25% on April 6th of this year has been halted temporarily as per the spring statement. The general cost of food and services covered in the consumer price index rate has gone up by 20% during the same period. There's so many people that need the help and as a campaign we support people on a daily basis but it's just helplessness because we too are affected by the horrendous costs and everything like that. Many of us are struggling and everything as well. In the UK, more than 14.5 million people live in poverty including 4.3 million children. In the last one year, 2.5 million parcels were handed out at food banks. Rents have gone up an estimated 35% and average house prices have gone up close to 50%. A federation of trade unions with a membership of about 5.5 million estimates that energy bills are rising 14 times faster than wages. The current inflation rate at 6.2% which is the highest in 30 years is also expected to hit 8.7% in the final quarter of 2022. More protests are expected in the coming days seeking a solution to the cost of living crisis the country is facing.