BRITAIN’S poorest households are spending nearly half of their income on food and housing while the rich spend four times more on entertainment, official figures revealed yesterday.

The disparities of austerity Britain were laid bare as this year’s figures on family spending were disclosed by the Office for National Statistics.

While the average weekly spend of £531 was again up on previous years, the disposable income of the richest fifth of Britons is now six times higher than the bottom 20 per cent.