The Office for National Statistics released their figures on Wednesday morning, showing that prices are climbing faster than they have in 40 years.
UK inflation had already risen to 7 percent in March.
The rate of Consumer Prices Index inflation is the official measure used to judge the cost of living, as energy, food, and fuel prices climb.
Inflation rates in the UK have not reached 9 percent since 1982, with the Ukraine war driving up prices of goods and services, and the 54 percent increase in the energy cap for UK households coming into effect.
This has seen hundreds of pounds added to energy bills in homes across the country.
Small business owner, Stewart Morton-Collings, described the cost of living squeeze as “unlike anything we’ve ever seen”.
He said: “Our only option is to work seven days a week, every week, with no breaks.”
With no holidays, slashed use of vehicles and only the minimum energy used, Stewart said this still “won’t be enough to get us through”, adding: “It feels like we’ve gone backwards 50 years.”
This was echoed by Jamie Rackham, founder of small, independent business group, ‘Not on Amazon’.
He described inflation reaching 9 percent as “absolutely devastation to millions of people”, adding that the “Government is doing nowhere near enough to support working people”.
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