I agree. I'm not sure what my point was.
I suppose I was trying to say, in a round about and forum-ish kind of way, that poor people struggling to afford stuff is a reality of a recession. By their very nature, the poorest in society will always struggle to afford stuff anyway. Otherwise they wouldn't be the poorest.
A VAT increase is straightforward and cannot easily be avoided.
Do I want to pay more VAT? No.
Would I rather pay more VAT than more Income Tax or National Insurance? Yes, because I am in control of that and everyone will be in the same boat.