News that soaring energy costs have pushed the UK’s bills to a 40-year high will come as no surprise to the millions of UK households who are struggling to cope – and who are being taunted by politicians telling them they just need to budget.

A survey released this week by Appinio showed that 70% of British people say that the cost of living crisis is having a significant impact on their mental health, while a further 76% believe the government is not doing enough to support the public and won’t be able to stop the crisis before the year ends.

Considering recent comments that members of parliament have made about the cost of living, it is unsurprising that those on the frontlines of the crisis are losing their faith. Earlier this week, government minister Rachel Maclean caused uproar when she said in an interview with Sky News that people struggling with the cost of living should “take on more hours or move to a better-paid job”.

“Over the long term we need to have a plan to grow the economy and make sure that people are able to protect themselves better, whether that is by taking on more hours or moving to a better-paid job,” she said. 

Perhaps her comments were pitched as well-meaning practical solutions, but as they come hot on the heels of MPs saying that people simply need to learn to budget (courtesy of Lee Anderson, the Conservative MP for Ashfield) or to use the value ranges at the supermarket (George Eustice, the environment secretary), they have left many wondering whether the government thinks we’re running out of money because we’re ignorant.

Citizens Advice has pointed out that “the warning lights could not be flashing brighter” for the government, urging them to increase support for British households in difficulty. Meanwhile debt charities are calling on people who are struggling to seek help now rather than waiting until later in the year when bills are likely to increase still further.

Sophie*, 26, a supermarket assistant manager and barista from Nuneaton, says Maclean’s comments prove the government has no idea how those on the poverty line live. “I have two kids to look after and my energy bills went up 100% this year,” she tells Stylist. “I already picked up an extra job in a coffee shop to cover expenses. The fact she thinks we haven’t already thought of working more hours to help ourselves is ridiculous. I work an extra 10 hours on top [of a full-time job] and we’re still struggling to keep our heads above water.”

Sarah*, 41, a disability rights advocate from Bedford, says Maclean’s comments are even more out-of-touch with regard to those living with poverty and disability. “As someone living with disability, cost of living is higher anyway,” she says. “Many disabled people want to work more but it’s not realistic to do long hours, second or third jobs. No one should have to, anyway.” 

Sarah has always had just enough money to survive but no way of saving any money. “As a disabled person, I can’t get out of my current situation by working more. I am now in a position where I have stopped all unnecessary spending and still fall short each month, having to ask for handouts from friends and family that I know I will never be able to pay back.”

We keep hearing this kind of comment from MPs who should know better. Just a few days ago, the Conservative MP Lee Anderson blamed high levels of food bank usage on a lack of cooking and budgeting skills. “I think you’ll see first-hand that there’s not this massive use for food banks in this country,” he told the House of Commons during the debate on the Queen’s Speech. “You’ve got generation after generation who cannot cook properly. They can’t cook a meal from scratch. They cannot budget.”

He claimed that a nutritious meal could easily be cooked for 30p using groceries from Aldi, which the budget cooking expert and campaigner Jack Monroe pointed out didn’t include additional factors, including the cost of power; indeed, food banks have reported that people are turning down items such as potatoes because they need to be cooked.

These threads of ‘advice’ boil down to the same message: that being poor is somehow a symptom of bad life choices. And when the bulk of the problem is caused by bills increasing outside our decision-making, it’s hard not to take these responses as a thinly veiled effort to project blame. 

This, of course, isn’t the case. Prices of household bills have climbed to their highest rate for over 30 years, and it’s left many people feeling anxious. Right now, the cost of living is most households’ biggest cause for concern. And it’s set to get worse before it gets better. This week Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator, announced that gas and electric bills are expected to rise even higher, despite most people’s household bills having already increased by at least 50%.

As basic as they may seem to some to certain MPs, things like budgeting, financial planning and acquiring jobs with generous salaries and benefits packages are huge privileges. All include specific skills that aren’t taught in all schools or communities. While there are plenty of companies hiring at the moment, the UK’s job market is currently at its most insecure, according to a new report by thinktanks Autonomy and the Centre for Labour and Social Studies. Job insecurity has risen in 18 out 20 industries, and it affects Black and minority ethnic people and women the most.

Maclean’s comments also don’t take into account the stress of changing jobs, nor the challenge of moving house, especially at a time when the UK’s housing market is at an all-time high, to potentially start up another career. Good jobs are hard to come by and even harder to keep, much like money: according to new research by Yorkshire Building Society, around a fifth of UK adults have less than £100 in savings.

Boris Johnson tweeted that “the UK government will play its part to ensure political peace and democracy, but the parties must come together to restore power sharing and tackle cost of living pressures”. Given that the Conservative Party has been in power for 12 years, this feels like passing the buck. Well wishes and vague promises to tackle the cost of living mean little when poverty-related child deaths are on the rise and the UK is now home to more food banks than branches of McDonald’s. Meaningful, long-lasting change is a matter of urgency. That will only come with more empathy and understanding from the government, not judgment over our supposed lack of budgeting skills.

* names have been changed

If you are concerned about money or are struggling with debt, charities like StepChange provide free and impartial financial advice