To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any assessment her Department has made of the impact of rising living costs on low-to-middle income working households, including whether current wage growth is keeping pace with inflation.

My Department is closely monitoring the financial pressures facing households across the North. The Consumer Council NI Household Expenditure Tracker (Northern Ireland Household Expenditure Tracker | Consumer Council) highlights the scale of these pressures and how heavily everyday essentials weigh on family finances. For example, in Q3 2025, the lowest‑earning households spent 45.1% of their total basic spending on food and non-alcoholic beverages, housing, electricity, gas and other fuels, and transport.

Against this backdrop, the latest NISRA labour market statistics shows strong wage growth, with median monthly pay increasing by £43 (1.8%) over the month to £2,493 in February 2026, an annual rise of £189 (8.2%). After accounting for CPI inflation of 3.0%, the real annual growth in median monthly pay was around 5.2%. However, inflationary pressures remain uncertain. The Bank of England has warned that ongoing global energy disruption linked to conflict in the Middle East will place upward pressure on households’ fuel and utility prices. As a result, CPI inflation is expected to rise in the near term.

I recognise that, although real wage growth has been positive, continued inflationary pressures and the risk of further price shocks mean that real household incomes particularly for low-to-middle income working families are likely to remain under strain.

I will continue to monitor developments closely and press the British Government to take further action to shield consumers and businesses from additional financial pressures as this situation evolves.