Residents' stories

"Everything is so much expensive and I'm a single mother, yeah, and for me it's very, very hard. Rent and bills and food is also very expensive. Everything is double price now, I can't cope with the cold."

Mariam's landlord recently talked about increasing her rent by £180 per month. Her universal credit is not enough to pay her full rent. She relies on food banks and has received support from a charity to help clear her debts.

Mariam has struggled to access support services in the past, she explains:
"But I don't have internet access. I don't have a laptop. I don't have anything but still they said, 'We can't help you'. Then I went community centre so that was where they helped me to apply."

When asked what else would help

"We need people like (my co-ordinator) who can help women like me who are single, and especially those who don't know nothing about this country, and they just keep struggling."

Offering face to face support so individuals, like Mariam, can go there in person and talk to someone who will listen rather than pass them from agency to agency.

A day in the life

This 'day in the life' documents one day, hour to hour. What the person does, what decisions they make and why, and how they feel about this in relation to the cost of living.

"I just feel like my whole life is being consumed by the energy crisis, definitely. I've literally been watching my smart meter all the time, taking pictures before I go out. When I come back, I'm not putting any lights on, just using candles, and using a hot water bottle. I started feeling gloomy and doomy because of it because I wasn't able just to switch on the light and have a cup of coffee and relax."

She volunteers locally, and before the crisis, when she returned from volunteering, she would turn on her lamp because it was late and make herself a cup of coffee. She can no longer do that, so instead lights her candles or puts on battery powered lights and has a glass of water.

She applied for Personal Independence Payment following an operation on her foot and got a small increase, but this has been swallowed up by recent price increases. To try to make ends meet she has avoided turning on the heating and stopped visiting friends and family as she can't afford transport.

Sarah has also skipped meals and is having fewer baths and showers but despite this she is behind on her energy bills and fears what will happen in the future.

"What if they decide, 'Well, hang on a minute we're going to make you go to a prepayment meter."

She stays on at her volunteering work late so that she only needs to heat her home for a few hours when she gets home.

Well, I'm not in all day so when I get home tonight if I'm cold I think, 'I can put the heating on for a couple hours because I wasn't there' it's a win-win you know?"

"I've been volunteering at the community cafe for quite a while. And yeah, it's been quite integral in helping and supporting and listening to me with anything."

She sees her mental health coordinator, a nurse, and the local charity organisation where she volunteers when she needs support. Because the charity is very familiar with her, Sarah feels she will go there if she ever needs support in the future.

Sarah's utility bills have doubled, and she is unable to afford them. She contacted Green Doctor who are energy efficiency experts after hearing about them from Citizen's Advice, who assessed her home and advised her to opt for 'top up' because it would save her money. She followed the advice and discontinued her direct debit after that.

When asked about support from family and friends she mentioned that her children are in other countries. Although she has friends, she communicates with them via messaging and doesn't necessarily see them face to face because everyone is busy with their lives. Also because of her financial situation, barriers like transport costs play a part. She has made some nice friends at the local library. When asked about her hopes for the future, Sarah discussed returning to her local town and venturing into self-employment in the hopes of achieving financial stability. She would also consider taking a job if it ticks all the boxes.

When asked what else would help

• Organisations supporting people in the heart of the community.
• Reassurance that energy meters will not be installed without permission.
• Support with energy bills.

Sarah feels those in charge are disconnected from the reality of people's lives, and she thinks that for them to relate to people more effectively, they need to actually live for a while in their shoes.

"You know, I don't really have a quality of life and I've felt suicidal. The kids, we can't afford to send them to any clubs or anything, you know, any extra-curriculum activities. It's like the school trips. It's like £18 for a trip. It's ridiculous. And my son, bless him, he said, 'Oh mummy, I'll use my money. I don't want to miss out', because all his friends are going. My husband's already in a stressful job. He's got to work overtime in order to keep our heads above water."

"I've got two children, and they're more than aware of how it is, how it's hard for us, they are aware that we use like a food bank."

"My daughter's probably at an age where she didn't really want to get in the bath with her brother, but we asked her to because it's cheaper to do. They get one bath a week."

Cheryl can't afford for her children to do activities such as swimming, which negatively impacts her mental health because she wishes she could. Although her husband works, it has been difficult for them to make ends meet because his union is frequently on strike. Her family's financial situation is extremely difficult, and they rely on food banks to get by.

Cheryl has made cutbacks everywhere she can think of, turning off the heat and lights, cutting down on washing, shopping for 'yellow label foods' and trying to reduce her children's bathing.

Cheryl applied for personal independence payment (PIP), but the procedure was very time-consuming and exhausting, particularly for people who are ill, and she had to provide a lot of supporting documentation. Cheryl felt information was passed on from one person to another and another and was being interpreted differently further down the chain.

"I applied for PIP. It's also really hard to do something like that when you don't feel well to concentrate. It's a lot of effort and it was hard to find somebody to help me with it."

Some of the support Cheryl has accessed locally has been a lifeline for her.

"At the Crescent, they were able to visit Santa for the first time and get a picture and a present. I sat there and cried because I just thought the simple things that, you know, for me it's just not doable."

"I don't know how I would've managed had I not had people like the Community Coordinator."

When asked what else would help

Cheryl calls for greater assistance from organisations and charities that help children under the age of 8, as well as more free school lunches from the government, and an easier process for applying for benefits such as PIP.

Andrew's children, especially his eldest daughter, are aware of his financial position and restrict the younger children from choosing anything he cannot afford.

"It stops you going out and doing family time."

"My eldest she's telling her younger sister, 'Look, Daddy can't afford that'. My dream is to be working for myself and actually be able to work around the children."

Andrew has applied for jobs but isn't hearing back from them, and when he does, he tries to negotiate for flexible working hours that meet his needs because of his schedule with the children. Instead, the Job Centre/Maximus are mostly offering him training, which is also useful but he would prefer paid work.

"I don't have that time. 'Well, we need you here at this job today', and it's like 'I can't sort out childcare that quick'. 'Do this course, do this course...' I don't want to be doing these hourly courses. I want to be out working. They just look at it as, 'I need to do my job, I don't care about your circumstances'. So it's about the system to them, it's not about the individuals. I'm applying for jobs that are miles away, like I'm running out of jobs in Huddersfield. I don't have the money to save up for my driving lessons."

Andrew worries he will receive a sanction from the Job Centre which will make paying for bills even more difficult. He feels they don't understand people's individual needs and circumstances. He struggles with reading and writing so finds application forms difficult, but he finds it hard get help with forms for jobs he is applying for. Transport is a big factor in Andrew's ability to apply for certain jobs. He feels things would be simpler for him if he had a driving licence, but he can't afford driving lessons.

Andrew praised the school his children attend for their support. He was grateful for the care and support his kids receive at school because it has reduced stress for both him and his children.

"This school, it's been very helpful."

"I always turn to the school. Even though I don't like taking my problems to the school. But I don't feel like I'll get judged."

Recently, Andrew disclosed his difficulties to someone at Maximus and as a result he has begun receiving counselling support and he feels optimistic about his future.

When asked what else would help

• Opportunities for flexible work and good quality affordable childcare.
• Support with job applications.
• Individualised support from services such as job centres that consider people's circumstances.
• Access to mental health and counselling support services.

Rebecca has no family to turn to for support and she is having trouble paying her debts. She is also in arrears with her Council Tax. She hasn't received maintenance payments from her ex-husband in approximately 4 months, which hasn't helped, and she worries that things might grow worse. She doesn't go on holiday, she doesn't have a social life, and she seldom ever buys clothes. Rebecca writes poetry to express how she feels.

Poem 1

Struggling to make ends meet
Feeling loss and defeat
Hoping things get better
Dread opening any letter
Making calls, put on hold
Sitting at home, always cold
Getting deeper into debt
Is this as hard as its going to get?

"All I want right now is just to be able to pay my bills and not be in arrears constantly, because that way wears me down, you know."

"There's no spending money, there's no fun money."

Rebecca is delighted with the support she receives from her coordinator, who has helped her make friends and connections with other mothers in her neighbourhood. She joins them at a local community garden to unwind, chat, and feel alive. She believes this is good for her mental health because it feels good to be a part of something.

"When they come on to the garden and they do a little bit of digging and they plant a bulb or something, we have a little chat. We have a coffee. It's just nice. It's so important for your mental health to feel part of something, isn't it?"

Rebecca was grateful to an organisation called 'Works Better' for helping her to get a job. They provided her with smart clothes for the interview and did some coaching with her.

Poem 2
Work! Filled with dread
Wish I was back in bed
But
Bank in the red
Child to be fed
'Nuff said.

"The woods is where I find peace and calm. A free parents wellness group saved me. One day a week in the woods, being part of nature, helped me to find hope and confidence. I felt I could move on with my life, I could re-connect with the world after hiding away during the Covid years."

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When asked what else would help

• Extra financial support when starting a job: Rebecca had to pay for her own DBS check (£45) and her first wage was only small due to starting part-way through the month. Although she got her bus pass paid for the first three weeks, she would have liked this to be for longer.
• Faster access to support: Rebecca applied to a local hardship fund. She was rejected initially but then reapplied and eventually got some money, but it took a long time (about four months). She felt it was a bit badly organised (emails going missing, etc.).
• Better communication from organisations: Rebecca had problems getting answers from the tax office when they changed her tax credits, and was worried about moving on to Universal Credit due to possible delays in payment and reduction in money.
• Access to support via coordinators who can link people to services they need.

"Five kids and me, one room. Is so not nice."

"My home is no good. Close to main road, no playing space."

"Day by day, more problems... yeah, so hard."

"Me and my husband no job, so bad."

"Hard job, five kids look after, and husband look after, and shopping, and children for the doctors."

"Milk, no cheap. Milk, no cheap."

"Fruit is not important. That's when electricity and gas is important."

Her children were poorly recently, and she had to spend £60 on medicines and this has put extra pressure on household finances. Aqsa shared that due to the money situation she has not been back to Pakistan in 8 years to see her family. Her mother is ill and is asking her to come but she does not have the means and this is really upsetting for her.

"My mom is not well, yeah, so she want to see me. For about 7-8 years now have no go Pakistan. She ask me come to Pakistan, asking me but no money."

Aqsa tries to prioritise the children and their needs. She still tries to let them have little treats such as chocolate and crisps on the weekly shop; however, it's only the bare essentials for her and her husband. She would like to get a part time job in the future but at the moment she is needed at home as a carer for her husband and children.

Aspirations

• To have a good home, her children to be well behaved and have a good education so they can get good jobs on leaving school.
• She doesn't wish for lots of money, as that brings its own challenges, just a good standard of living with the basics.
• She just likes to keep busy so she would love to have a little job earning some income that involves school/children. She mentioned a dinner lady or school playground monitor as she loves being around children and likes getting out of the house as much as possible.

When asked what else would help

Aqsa said if she was in charge of reducing poverty, she would ensure there are spaces and places where people can go, free of charge, to just get out of their houses, socialise over a cuppa etc, connect and share their worries and concerns. She feels too many people are suffering behind closed doors and sinking into depression.

Prior to her husband's illness, his inability to work, and the rise in living expenses, they were able to afford more than just the bare necessities. They could go on family outings, have takeaway once a week, visit the beach occasionally, and pay for the kids' mosque membership fees, swimming lessons, and other expenses.

Bishara cannot access benefits as it would violate the terms of her visa, so despite caring for her husband she cannot access carer's allowance. She is on a spousal visa which costs £3,500 for each renewal. Her husband paid for it when he was working, the last renewal was paid by her father-in-law. Now, she has no idea where the money will come from the renewal in October 2024. Bishara's husband is eligible for Universal Credit, but there are delays in the process so they have not received anything yet.

"By the time we pay the bills and do the grocery shopping, nothing is left for doing extra stuff. No money to buy clothes or, you know, shoes or any other extra essentials."

"Universal Credit it's not enough, because we pay rent, you pay your phone bill, council tax, TV licence, water bill, gas, electric, school trips. If you're going doctors and I have not been well you need money for taxi or bus."

Bishara herself has a collapsed lung ailment that happened during pregnancy/birth with her second child. She shared that one of her most recent medical consultations was on a Sunday at Pinderfields. Her husband was too ill to care for the children for any length of time, and public transportation is considerably reduced, so she must bring the three kids with her every time. She had to rely on taxis, which put a significant financial strain on them. She is hesitant to inform NHS workers of these additional challenges when given a Sunday appointment because she believes that if you don't accept what is offered, you will find yourself at the back of the line or waiting list. Bishara pointed out issues around fewer local services now being offered at Dewsbury District Hospital (which didn't use to be the case), forcing residents to travel further away.

"They send you to Sheffield hospital, you have to take two trains. I've got three kids. Then all of a sudden, trains go on strike, bus go on strike. Taxis are costly. If you don't have extra spare money for taxi, you get stuck."

Bishara shared that some support she has accessed locally has been helpful. The Rainbow Baby Bank provided clothes for her baby, but now that he is 12 months old, it is more difficult to receive assistance there. Bramwell's community organisation and the Uniform Exchange have provided assistance which Bishara was grateful for and Local Welfare provision have also helped when she was in need.

"I put safety pins in my trousers, they fall off because I've lost so much weight. I can't afford to go shopping for clothes, it's too expensive."

"My clothes and shoes for my children have been coming from Rainbow Baby Bank. I can't afford to buy them, And for the school shoes, the school sorted me out, Uniform Exchange, they have the uniform, They gave me hats, gloves, blankets. They help me out, the school they go to."

When asked what else would help

• Improvements in how quickly benefits are processed, so people can access their entitlements quickly.
• Hospitals and healthcare settings should consider the cost of living in the design and implementation of their services, considering accessibility for those with limited means.