It’s no surprise that record-high gas prices are hitting people hard. A new ABC News/Washington Post poll notes it may be even worse than you may have suspected.

Seventy-seven percent in the survey called gas prices a financial hardship, and 51 percent say it’s a “serious” hardship – up by 14 and 17 points from a month ago to their highest point in polls dating back to 2000.

And people are reacting by cutting back. In last month’s survey, 42 percent of respondents said they had reduced driving, the figure was 55 percent in today’s survey. While some people in all groups said they had cut back, the impact was greatest in the lowest income households.

ABC says: “Other figures back the trend: Last week the Department of Energy reported a drop in gasoline consumption of 1.3 percent from a year ago. Miles-driven was down early this spring for the first time since 1979.”

The telephone poll was conducted June 12-15 and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.