The cost-of-living crisis is the issue we hear about more than any other. Energy bills remain painfully high, food prices have risen far faster than wages, mortgages and rents have jumped, and many families feel they are one unexpected bill away from real trouble.
So here’s the question we want to put directly to you: what should Britain actually do to ease the squeeze on everyday life?
The Reality Facing Households
For millions of people, living standards have gone backwards. Even those in full-time work are struggling to get ahead. The problem isn’t just global shocks or bad luck — it’s a policy environment where taxes are high, energy is expensive, and government takes too much before families even see their pay.
Successive governments have talked about “support” while quietly allowing costs to rise and wages to stagnate.
Reform UK’s Approach: Cut the Costs, Not Just the Symptoms
Reform UK has argued that the most effective way to help families is to reduce the costs government controls.
That includes:
Scrapping VAT on domestic energy bills, immediately lowering household costs
Cutting fuel duty, easing pressure on commuters, tradespeople, and delivery costs that feed into food prices
Letting people keep more of what they earn, rather than recycling money through the state
The logic is simple: if the state takes less, families have more — without complicated schemes or bureaucracy.
Other Ideas — Do They Work?
Others argue for different approaches:
Energy price caps, which can reduce bills in the short term but risk distorting supply and pushing costs elsewhere
Windfall taxes on energy companies, which sound attractive but may discourage investment and reduce future supply
More subsidies and benefits, which often fail to keep up with prices and are funded by higher taxes later
These ideas spark strong opinions — and that’s exactly why this debate matters.
Your Turn
There is no single silver bullet, but priorities matter.
👉 Should government focus on cutting taxes and bills directly?
👉 Or should it intervene more heavily in markets?
👉 Is the real issue wages, housing costs, energy policy — or all three?
Which approach do you believe would most effectively help British families right now — and why?
We want to hear your ideas. Comment below and join the discussion.