Around 21,000 adults in Ipswich could already be falling behind on household bills, new research has found.

An estimated 11,600 residents are also believed to be going without food as the cost-of-living crisis deepens.

The data comes from a study conducted by Ipswich Labour, which built upon the research from debt charity Money Trust Advice, which found one in five adults in the UK have fallen behind on at least one household bill and one in nine have gone without eating.

On Friday, the government announced a £60billion support package to help those struggling with rising energy costs.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng also pledged to cut household bills by £1,400 and to both cancel the planned rise in National Insurance and cut the basic rate of income tax.

The research conducted by the Money Trust Advice also found two in five UK adults (41 per cent) also said they had already cut down on all non-essential spending – up by 7% since March 2022; two in five (38 per cent) have stopped or reduced their car usage due to rising fuel costs, and an estimated 7.7 million (14 per cent) said they had sold personal or household items to cover bills.

Jack Abbott, Labour and Co-operative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Ipswich, said: “After 12 years of Conservative rule, our country is in crisis. Wages are falling, the economy is on the brink of recession and our NHS and social care is on its knees.

“It is estimated that more than 20,000 people are falling behind on their bills in Ipswich, and nearly 12,000 people are going without food. So it is staggering that the Conservative plans to deal with the cost-of-living appear to be lifting the cap on bankers' bonuses and resisting a windfall tax on the bumper profits of oil and gas companies – meaning higher tax, debt and borrowing for the rest of us.

“After more than a decade in power the Conservatives have delivered nothing for the people of Ipswich except low growth, high tax, and collapsing public services.”

Ipswich MP Tom Hunt was approached for comment on the issue, but declined.