The United Kingdom cost-of-living crisis is an ongoing event starting in 2021, in which prices for many essential goods in the United Kingdom began increasing faster than household incomes, resulting in a fall in real incomes. This is caused in part by a rise in inflation in the UK, as well as the economic impact of foreign issues such as the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and post Brexit trade. The UK's cost of living is the most affected of advanced economies. While all in the UK are affected by rising prices, it most substantially affects low-income persons. The British Government has responded in various ways, such as by making provision for a £650 grant for households in receipt of means-tested benefits, including Universal Credit.