Hikes to council tax, water, broadband and mobile phone costs are threatening to stretch many households to breaking point, charities have warned.

Inflation on non-food items rose to 0.1% against a drop of 0.1% in February.

Those in their 20s drove the surge in people asking neighbours for help, with requests increasing by 35%, the poll for Nextdoor found.

The Which? Consumer Insight Tracker found that 49% of households are being forced to dip into savings, sell possessions or take other measures.

The consumer confidence index by GfK saw expectations for the general economy drop.

Which? compared a list of 245 branded items including Heinz, Nescafe and Mr Kipling in February.

Consumer expectations of the economy over the next three months has fallen to its lowest level on record, the BRC and Opinium found.

The charity warned the figures indicated how many household budgets had already ‘gone beyond breaking point’.

Ads for 222 Balance Me, Lunera, Minerva and Nova Menopause Vitality all claimed their products could prevent, treat or cure menopause symptoms.

The Competition and Markets Authority’s reforms aim to help pet owners better navigate the vet services market.

The ASA said the ad implied that viewers could use an app to remove a woman’s clothing.

The Food Foundation said 12% of UK households experienced food insecurity in January, including 6.3 million adults, up from 11% in June last year.

Energy minister Michael Shanks told MPs ‘we stand ready to provide whatever support is needed to consumers’.

Energy UK said latest projections from suppliers suggested customers could face an increase of as much as £250 on their annual bill.

Home heating oil is used by around 1.5 million mainly rural households in the UK.

Almost three quarters of 18 to 28 year olds (71%) use messaging apps and online groups to find money-saving tips and tricks, a survey found.

The Marine Conservation Society said items like cans and bottles were found on 95% of beaches surveyed across the country.

The CMA said it will consider how quickly fuel prices rise and fall as wholesale costs change.

Just 11.5% of more than 900 ads for non-surgical liquid BBLs between April and December last year adhered to the rules, a study found.