Wales’ most influential think-tank, the Bevan Foundation, says new data shows how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting people’s health this winter.

New insights gathered by YouGov on behalf of the Bevan Foundation have revealed the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on people’s health.

Nearly half of people in Wales (48 per cent) reported that their mental health has been negatively affected by their current financial position, while nearly one in three (30 per cent) said that their physical health has been negatively affected.

Dr Steffan Evans of the Bevan Foundation said: “At a time when the NHS is already under significant pressure, the results of the Snapshot survey make for highly concerning reading. With such high numbers of people reporting that their physical and mental is being negatively affected by their current financial position, the NHS will could be stretched even further.”

There are also worrying signs that the impact of the crisis on people’s mental health may be worsening, with the number of people reporting that their mental health has been negatively affected rising from 43 per cent in July 2022 to 48 per cent in January 2023.

Disabled people have been hit especially hard. Over half of people with a health condition that limited their activity a lot said that their mental and physical health was negatively affected (61 per cent said this in respect of their mental health and 55 per cent said this in respect of their physical health).

Dr Steffan Evans added: “The fact that disabled people and people with long term health conditions are among those that most likely to see their physical and mental health negatively affected by the current crisis is not surprising. Any attempts to improve public health that don’t take poverty into account are not likely to be effective.”

When asked why their health had been negatively affected by their financial position people pointed to difficulties in accessing essential goods and services, and to broader factors such as being unable to participate in hobbies or see friends and family.

More than four in ten people whose health has been negatively affected attribute a lack of heating in their home as a contributory factor (43 per cent physical health, 41 per cent mental health), whilst over a third (34 per cent) report that a lack of access to good quality food is having an impact on their physical health.

Nearly half of people who report that their health has been negatively affected reported that not being able to participate in hobbies and exercise was a reason why their health had deteriorated (48 per cent physical health and 47 per cent mental health). Three in ten said that their inability to meet family and friends had had a negative impact on their health (28 per cent physical health and 30 per cent mental health) while 23 per cent report that a relationship difficulty had had a negative impact on their mental health.

Reacting to the latest data the Bevan Foundation’s Director, Dr Victoria Winckler said: “These latest results lay bare the very real human impact of the cost-of-living crisis on families in Wales. With costs set to remain high throughout 2023 it is vital that the UK and Welsh Governments continue to provide support to families beyond April, or there is a risk that even more people will see their health suffer as they struggle to make ends meet”.