A couple from London who earn close to £200,000 a year have revealed that they can barely make ends meet on the 'petty' income.
Nisha and Ashish Sharma, both in their 40s, live with their four-year-old daughter in Croydon. Their home, which they paid £204,500 for in 2000, is now worth £700,000.
Nisha, a marketing manager, told the Financial Times she considers herself part of the “squeezed middle,” adding: “In theory, with our household income, we are in the top 5 per cent of the UK population and yet it does not feel that way.
“We are caught in the middle where we are paying for everything.'
“The cost of living in London, coupled with any benefits including pension allowances being stripped from supposedly high earners puts a financial strain [on us]' “You can no longer categorically say that we are part of the elite high earners in the UK living a high life.”
Mrs Sharma’s comments drew a number of criticisms after the FT feature, titled “We’re struggling to get by on £200,000 a year,” started to go viral on social media.
One commenter said: “One can only presume she is joking! 'Struggling' to pay for private education for a four year old? Give me a break!”
Mrs Sharma later told The Sun: “I stand by what I said about struggling and I wouldn't have made the comments if I didn't stand by them and feel this way.”