The former head of the second largest retail chain in the UK, Sainsbury's Justin King, said that the country's citizens should prepare for high food prices in the long term, and it's time for the government to think about providing benefits, writes The Guardian.

King noted that many families simply will not have extra money to buy groceries. He suggested that in order to provide targeted assistance to people, the state would need "extraordinary amounts." King cited the £20 a week increase in universal credit introduced by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic as an example.

“Perhaps the golden era is over. We have never spent less on groceries before than we do now, and the decline has been long and gradual. So I suspect food costs will go up in the long run. In historical terms, this will not be very much, but it will still require adjustments to the family budget, ”King said.