NI Households Left With Less Than £20 Per Week

Northern Ireland's lowest earning households have less than £20 per week left after paying their bills and living expenses, as discretionary income falls by 46.7% compared to last year (from £37.11 to £19.78).

These figures come from the Consumer Council's (CC) latest Northern Ireland Household Expenditure Tracker, which is published on a quarterly basis and tracks the changes to income and expenditure for the lowest earning households here.

CC's Household Expenditure Tracker reveals that in Q3 2022 (July, August and September), Northern Ireland's lowest earning households:

• saw their weekly income after tax rise by only £1.66 (0.7%);

• experienced weekly spending on basic goods increase by £4.14 (2%);

• spent 54% of their total basic spending on rent, energy, food and transport; and

• saw their discretionary income fall for the 6th consecutive quarter leaving these households with less than £20 per week to live on (£19.78).

Noyona Chundur, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council, said: "We first published the Household Expenditure Tracker last year, and with each publication, we have seen a decline in discretionary income for Northern Ireland's lowest earning households. The statistics within the Household Expenditure Tracker quantify what we already know and are seeing on a daily basis: that consumers are significantly struggling at the moment.

"The Household Expenditure Tracker shows that despite an increase of basic spending across all four income quartiles, it was only those in income quartiles 1 and 2 that experienced a further decrease in discretionary income.

"For those who are struggling to pay their bills, the Consumer Council offers a variety of help, support and advice to help consumers understand ways to save money, shop around, and what options are available."

Consumers can view a range of interactive tools including an Energy Price Comparison Tool, Petrol and Diesel price comparison tool and a Home Heating Oil Tracker, and resources including our Cost-of-Living Hub.