Economists have said higher private school fees, driven by the Labour Government’s move to end the long-standing VAT exemption for private schools on January 1, are likely causes of the rise.
The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) soared at the start of the year, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data released on Wednesday.
Inflation accelerated to 3% in January, in a fresh setback for consumers and the chancellor.
It is up from 2.5% in December, when the rate surprisingly eased back.
