Ben Chapman
The Independent
United Kingdom
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Past articles by Ben:
UK faces ‘catastrophe’ after energy bills soar 80% amid warning price cap could hit £7,000
Experts warn bills could be pushed even higher without urgent intervention as gas prices continue to rise → Read More
The energy crisis could get much worse – our leaders need to step up
A credible plan is needed urgently – but the government is moving too slowly, argues Ben Chapman → Read More
UK imports from Russia collapsed 97% after Ukraine invasion, official figures show
June was the first month on record that the UK imported no fuel from Russia → Read More
Inflation set to ‘enter the stratosphere’ and hit 18.6% by January as gas prices continue to surge
Dire new forecast says energy bills will reach £5,816 in April → Read More
‘It will take years for wages to recover’: How long can we expect the cost of living crisis to last?
Real wages are falling at a record pace, with worse yet to come according to financial analysts. Ben Chapman asks whether there is any hope of a let-up → Read More
Fears over UK high streets as energy bill hikes to force hundreds of thousands of businesses to close
Firms facing closure as gas and electricity costs multiply rapidly, industry leaders warn → Read More
State pension to surpass £10,000 a year for first time as inflation soars
Triple lock policy means pensioners will see their incomes partially protected while workers earnings collapse at a record rate → Read More
Households face another interest rate hike as inflation rate soars to 18% for nation’s poorest
There appears to be no end in sight to surging prices and falling living standards as inflation jumped into double digits for the first time since 1982 → Read More
Cost of living crisis: Wages plunge at record pace as bills soar
Real wages fall 3% after inflation but government claims ‘jobs market is strong’ as public sector workers receive huge pay cut and bankers enjoy big bonuses → Read More
Petrol prices set to fall as oil drops back below Ukraine invasion level
Oil prices have fallen by more than a third from their peak in March but prices may take several weeks to filter through to forecourts → Read More
Does Labour’s £29bn energy bills plan add up?
A six-month cap on gas and electricity would help struggling households but the plan is not without its flaws, writes Ben Chapman → Read More
Businesses and wealthy people ‘handed £36bn tax cuts under Rishi Sunak’
Tax Justice UK calculates at least £35.8bn handed to businesses in tax cuts → Read More
Drought could cause food price rises and shortages into next year, struggling farmers warn
Growers unable to plant key crops this month because ground is too hard – and rain may not arrive in time, hitting next year’s harvest → Read More
Households face further food price surge as ‘dire’ drought conditions hit UK farmers
Wheat, corn, meat and potato prices expected to rise, writes Ben Chapman → Read More
UK households ‘face decade of higher energy bills’, experts warn
More wind and solar power will reduce costs but not for years, say energy analysts → Read More
Households owe £1.3bn to energy suppliers even before bills are set to double this winter
Amount owed on gas and electricity bills trebled in past year as suppliers refer thousands to debt advice lines → Read More
Energy bills to hit £4,266 in January after Ofgem changes price cap rules
Gas and electricity prices will more than double in the coming months → Read More
Bankers get inflation-busting pay rises while low-income workers see earnings collapse
Worst-off get 1% wage increase as City of London workers toast large bonuses and 10% hike in overall pay → Read More
Bank of England’s dire recession warning too ‘optimistic’ amid gas threat, economists say
‘If Russia were to completely cut supplies and we had a cold winter it would be a perfect storm’ → Read More
UK faces long recession and deepest plunge in living standards on record, Bank of England warns
Country to enter recession this year and economy on course to shrink for five straight quarters → Read More