The debt charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) is warning that the Easter period is set to be the start of a big squeeze on family finances due to the rising cost of living.

The start of April marks the energy price cap increase and CAP says that combined with tax increases and stagnant wages means it's going to be tough year for many.

Chief executive, Paula Stringer, said: "The debt crisis is tightening on our own doorstep, with 2022 becoming the year of the squeeze. 

"We can't stand by and let people fall deeper into poverty. For millions of people already in poverty and debt, the rising cost of living will be catastrophic."

CAP says it has seen a 47 per cent increase in calls to its debt helpline compared to 2021, while requests for emergency fuel vouchers and food parcels have doubled.

The charity is launching its Easter appeal to raise funds to support those struggling.

It comes as a survey from the Office for National Statistics showed nearly half of adults were struggling to pay their energy bills even before today's price hike which could see an increase of £700 a year.

Speaking to Sky News, government minister Kit Malthouse, said: "It is very tough at the moment.

"We completely acknowledge that a combination of factors has meant that prices are rising significantly, energy prices in particular, driven by a variety of factors - post-pandemic, the war in Ukraine, other kinds of global factors outside of our immediate control - and it is tough.

"For those of us who have a smart meter, as we do here in my house, we can see how much it is costing us on an hourly basis, and it is not happy reading."