Erik W

Christmas is now a few short weeks away. This used to be a wonderful time for myself and my daughter, but when the pandemic started, followed by the cost of living crisis, it has been harder and harder to engage in Christmas like before. This year will be really tough. As yet I have not been able to do any sort of preparation, no tree, no celebration dinner, no little gifts for my daughter. So this year it seems like it is all but cancelled. Fortunately I am not in any sort of debt, except the odd late bill payment. But I am very careful and only use what I think I can afford. After the Autumn statement I am having to face another year of no increase in the rate of legacy benefits, which I have now come to a point where I feel it is going to push me over the edge financially. I feel I must make some sort of effort for my daughter at this time of of year, so I will try to get her a few small gifts and something a bit more healthy to eat on Christmas day, and as usual make cutbacks to my own life and wellbeing to do so. But this can't carry on due to the impact it is having on my daughter's and my own physical/ mental health. As it is now, she is in bed with a severe case of tonsilitis and at the beging of December has to go for an opperation to have a lump removed from her knee, which is obviously very worrying for both of us. However if only for my daughters sake and the fact that I now know there are people out there that care, who also face their own difficulties in life, I will continue to struggle on and campaign for a better future for all struggling families through the work of this programme.