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Inflation: Food bills see price rises return to 40-year high | |
(30 minutes later) | |
The increase in the cost of living accelerated to 10.1% in September as living costs continued to hit household budgets. | |
Inflation - a measure of price rises - returned to the 40-year high it hit in July after food prices soared, official figures show. | |
It was above the expectations of economists, who had predicted a figure of 10%. | |
The Bank of England has said inflation could peak at 11% this year. | The Bank of England has said inflation could peak at 11% this year. |
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Consumer Prices Index inflation had hit 10.1% in September, after seeing a slight dip to 9.9% in August. | |
The increase in the cost of living was driven by largely by energy bills and food prices. | |
The soaring price of bread, cereal, meat and dairy products pushed food prices higher in the year to September. | |
Overall, the cost of food jumped by 14.5% compared with the same month last year, representing the largest annual rise for 40 years. | |
ONS director of economic statistics Darren Morgan said: "After last month's small fall, headline inflation returned to its high seen earlier in the summer. | |
"These rises were partially offset by continuing falls in the costs of petrol, with airline prices falling by more than usual for this time of year and second-hand car prices also rising less steeply than the large increases seen last year," he said. | |
"While still at a historically high rate, the costs facing businesses are beginning to rise more slowly, with crude oil prices actually falling in September." | |
September's inflation figures are usually used to calculate next April's rise in the state pension and the increase in some benefits. | September's inflation figures are usually used to calculate next April's rise in the state pension and the increase in some benefits. |
It is unclear, however, if the government still intends to stick to this policy or cut down on its spending by increasing payments by a lower level by linking the rise to wages instead. | It is unclear, however, if the government still intends to stick to this policy or cut down on its spending by increasing payments by a lower level by linking the rise to wages instead. |