Half of Brits think Rishi Sunak is doing a bad job on the cost-of-living crisis

Most Brits think Rishi Sunak is doing a bad job of handling the cost-of-living crisis, a new poll has revealed.

Outgoings and costs of essentials have spiked in recent months with soaring energy bills, rising inflation, and tax hikes putting a growing amount of financial pressure on households.

On Monday, an Ipsos poll revealed 50% of Brits believe the chancellor is doing a bad job in responding to the cost-of-living crisis, and just 21% said he was doing a good job.

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It comes as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation warned that the government has allowed benefits sink to the lowest level in 50 years.

“With living costs predicted to rise further this year, it is difficult to comprehend the logic behind a choice not to act to protect the value of benefits, thereby imposing the single biggest benefit cut of its kind in fifty years," said Peter Matejic, deputy director for evidence & impact at the JRF.

"The government has chosen to weaken the incomes of the poorest at the worst possible moment."

A growing number of experts have called on the Treasury to up-rate benefits in line with current inflation - but a Treasury spokesperson said in March there were no plans to do so.

Elsewhere, polling suggests there has been a steep decline in public satisfaction with Sunak in his role as chancellor.

In March, 25% of Brits thought Sunak was doing a bad job. The figure has now risen to 37% according to Ipsos polling.

Read more: Martin Lewis warns UK 'not very far off civil unrest' amid cost of living crisis

It comes after a bruising week for Sunak as his wife's tax arrangements came under scrutiny after The Independent revealed she was avoiding paying tens of millions of pounds in tax by claiming non-domicile status.

Fresh questions have also been raised following accusations Sunak is a beneficiary of a trust held in a tax haven, and his admission he held US green card until last year.

The prime minister on Friday said he had full confidence in the chancellor following the controversy.

"Rishi is doing an absolutely outstanding job and, as far as possible, as I think I said yesterday, I don't think people's families should be dragged into things," he said.

On Sunday, the chancellor referred himself for an investigation into his tax affairs.

"I am confident that such a review of my declarations will find all relevant information was appropriately declared," he said.

On Monday, Labour leader Keir Starmer called for greater transparency on tax and ministers after former chancellor Sajid Javid revealed he was registered as non-domiciled before he served as chancellor.

Read more: The grim polls that lay bare the impact of the cost-of-living crisis

“It really is one rule for them, and another for everyone else. For every day this chaos continues, energy bills are going up, prices are going up, and this government isn’t doing anything to help people paralysed by the cost of living crisis,” said Starmer.

“Boris Johnson needs to bring this saga to a close and confirm that no other sitting Conservative minister is doing or has done anything to reduce their own personal tax bill, while they preside over the biggest tax hike in 70 years.”

Watch: Rishi Sunak referred to independent adviser on ministers' interests over his tax affairs, No 10 says