UK inflation rate jumps to highest in more than a year

Grant Fitzner, acting director general of the ONS, said: “Significant increases in household bills caused inflation to climb steeply.

“Gas and electricity bills rose [in April] compared with sharp falls at the same time as last year due to changes to the Ofgem energy price cap.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she was “disappointed” with the figures and cited April’s minimum wage rises and the decision to freeze fuel duty as helping pepole with the cost of living pressure.

Mel Stride, shadow chancellor, said the figure “is worrying for families”.

“We left Labour with inflation bang on target, but Labour’s economic mismanagement is pushing up the cost of living for families,” he added.

Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said: “These figures will make the Bank more alert to the possibility that this rebound in inflation will be bigger and last longer than it had been thinking.”