I really would not be surprised if benefits are not increased in line with inflation. There is no understanding in this government about how much it costs for families to live a normal, healthy lifestyle without the constant worry about how people will be able to feed themselves and their children, and cover the cost of rising bills. A lot of bills like broadband and phones rise in line with inflation plus a percentage more each year, leaving families in more financial difficulty. This, I find, is extremely tough as I am one of those who is still on Legacy benefits, who have not seen any sort of increase for several years even during the cost of living crisis, which is continuing despite what they want us to think.

If, next April, all benefits are not increased in line with inflation, I genuinely believe that we will end up malnourished and needing hospital treatment or simply freezing to death in our home, unable to put the heating and lights on even for a short period of time. I am now unable to remember the last time I ate a cooked meal or used the heating, I am now not even boiling the kettle in order to make a hot drink. There are just no more areas to cut back on so if there is no increase in benefit rates in April it will have a devasting affect on myself and my daughter, who is already struggling to work her way through school studying for her A levels. A rise in all benefits is the minimum that the government needs to announce in order for those living on a low income to even think about surviving through another long cold winter.

It would be very hard as I'm struggling now with bills and food. I know the people who decide what's happening never struggle.

Feeling very unsupported within the welfare system as a neurodivergent family. No one will recognise that my autism and my husband's ADHD affect our ability to work. Self- employment is work we can do, but not the hours we’re expected so we can’t meet our minimum income floor, and are trying to survive on a monthly UC payment that is less than our rent! But because we fail the extremely narrow (mostly physical) limited capacity to work assessments if we weren’t self-employed we’d be expected to take any job - despite us both knowing that there are aspects of most jobs that we literally can’t do, or that would make us ill. The system is broken.

There was a story on my internet homepage this morning stating that an MP had said you can tell why people are obese by what is in their shopping trolley. If the government were to give people on a low income a bit more money we could buy healthier food and look after ourselves better, which would mean a saving for the health service.

Coping with additional school cost can sometimes be very anxiety provoking financial wise.

I try to save some money in a separate account for extra items my daughter may need from the child support money I receive from her father. However if she asks to go on an expensive school trip, I often have to decline or work extra hours to provide this for her.

There is some help for parents on benefits but for working single parents like myself, there is no financial help.

Sometimes I have to say no or ask her to ask her father which will bring up issues as he is very controlling and will use this as a reflection that I can not parent properly. It can make me feel like I am failing has parent.

I have spoken to the school on several occasions about the cost of some school trips etc and affordability. They do not seem to listen.

What evidence and lived experience have you more personally immersed your understanding, experience of the truth of poverty for the working general public and that who are trapped in the benign system as there's no support to become off benefits?

Have you been judging the public via fake narastic media stereotyping exposure to influence your policy's, aids and support framework?

It seem you have and how to do plan to fix the UKs and people in power judgment and stereotypical influence to better the support such as getting off benefits for single parents, people who need flexible working patterns throught the means of disability act inclusion and equity. We should not have to fight for our rights, be trapped in benefits when the people in power (you) say we can come off them thought the jobcentre framework that only fits for old fashioned stereotypical un-educated and possible neglected family's.

How do you plan to stop the increasing needs of unofficial food banks and offical food banks etc?

Where is your empathy and care for the wellbeing and future of the UK and the child of our next future UK?

Where to begin really. I would like to see them walk a mile in my shoes. Just to see how hard it is sometimes, just keeping afloat. The squeeze just keeps getting tighter and tighter. Life feels hard and overwhelmed at times.

I would like them to see how it is.

As a family we currently claim universal credit.

It was easy enough to change job circumstances on the journal that they provide.

When changing bank details that required going into the Jobcentre which, if you work, can be hard to do. Otherwise, it could mean taking time off work to do it.

Specifically with the DWP, I personally dread the process of a change in circumstances no matter whether positive or otherwise. It's always a time of uncertainty, worrying how it will impact our finances. Also there's always the possibility any changes in my health will trigger another assessment which would be a real inconvenience to us. I worry it would be like starting all over again from scratch or it could take months to complete as I believe they are so far behind with claims.

Likewise the local authority has to be notified of changes in status or circumstances. I particularly feel the phrasing they both use to get their message across implies threat or significant consequences for not doing so urgently. i.e. "You must tell us immediately"....

Last year we moved house so I anticipated a bumpy ride in respect of my details needing to be verified or changes in payments. It's like throwing stone on a pond some create ripples some can turn to waves or some even turn into a tsunami depending on how dramatic the changes are.

I do remember feeling as though the DWP didn't believe me when they needed to ask for further documents to prove I was living here. How a tenancy agreement wasn't good enough proof, I just can't imagine, but they wanted more information and when you've only just moved house you're not necessarily going to have that to hand. It took time to change utility bills or update my bank account with the new address which especially in the days of paperless bills can take time to process. I mean it was enough of a mess switching energy companies, in order to have gas and electric supplies set up with my preferred supplier. Then internet and water utilities, never mind satisfying the DWP further than I had already tried to.

Not as though we can predict our futures, however, I personally prefer to avoid changes in circumstances at all costs.

The social security offices need to help those who are returning to work after a long time of being out of it. There isn’t enough of a ‘bridging the gap’ aid or support. I my situation I’m coming from trauma and domestic violence so getting back into work is going to be difficult but so far there’s been no help in that mental health department. I also used to be a professional so finding ‘just any job’ isn’t appropriate and again more assistance is needed to bridge this gap and gently ease the person back into the world of work.

I came across this MP questioning the Secretary of state about the re-introduction of strict sanction.

In my humble opinion, sanctions are NOT "helping" people into work... People are ESCAPING into employment to AVOID SANCTIONS then stuck in another unsustainable situation until something changes. That's definitely NOT "helpful" it's simply diluting the situation.

https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/8d15d0d4-072f-4f6c-a043-ae7e152d2bf0?in=10:20:24

I didn't have regular contact with the Job Centre Plus but expect to receive a welcoming behaviour where people will show empathy. The staff also shouldn't be judgemental but can scrutiny based on individual's circumstances and offer help where required. The staffs need to understand that people are at their door means they are facing difficulty for finding a right job or they are jobless and deserve a respect and help as a human being.