As far as expense is concerned, the new school year has always filled me with dread. My daughter is now in 6th form studying for her A levels so does not need to wear a school uniform, but she does have to wear smart casual clothes and shoes which still have to be paid for out of my legacy benefit payment.

On top of this, there is a need for students to buy and supply their own books which can be expensive. I am also very concerned that living on an extremely low income, not being able to afford to feed ourselves properly and the fact that my daughter also acts as an unpaid carer for me, is having a serious effect on her studies at school, which seems to be taking its toll on her at present.

On top of this she also has a lump on her knee which causes a lot of pain and discomfort which we are waiting for a hospital appointment for in order to have it removed, which is also affecting her studies and means she will need time off school to recover. So, basically, going back to school in September is not something we are looking forward to as the whole situation we find ourselves in is having a detrimental effect on her ability to have the best possible chance in life she can get.

I feel that we are glossing over the many price rises we are facing as supermarkets, including the ‘go to’ cheap ones, raise the cost of everything.

I want us to talk about the doubling of the price of female sanitary products… I want us to talk about deodorant and toothpaste being almost doubled or more in some cases, that tape and wrapping paper is massively hiked in price.

I want us to talk more about the level of greed in this country making the gap between its people and their living conditions, so much wider.

I want to talk about our kids being unable to have life affirming experiences and the children of those of us living in poverty being so directly affected by the huge, huge stress it brings to parents and carers who are just trying to make ends meet.

That washing our clothes is a luxury! I want to talk about that!! I want us to be brutal in our criticism of corporate greed meaning that affording our phones is touch and go, where anything beyond the immediate is becoming unreachable for so many of us…

Why are we not talking about these things more?

When we do go back to lower inflation, the prices won’t return to what they were, so it’s not the huge relief it should be. Because so many companies have exploited our need in such a grotesque way, and got away with it, the power imbalance is so much greater than it ever was and that, is so frightening to me.

Poverty is not something we should just expect… but we are being made to believe that it is ‘a cost of living crisis’ and we need to pull our belts in and there are media influencers giving us ‘tips’ on how to live ‘better’ with our meagre income… it is not the cost of living, it is the cost of greed and the many who cannot afford it at all, are footing the bill.

I want us to talk about cancelled hospital appointments, the ultimate effect of this on already reduced people, the worry over our health, our finances, the future, I want us to talk about the bitter taste that leaves us with… I want us to talk about why, we are raising a generation of children to believe that this is how we are meant to live…

Today I was told by the receptionist that the first available appointment with any GP at my doctor's surgery is a 5 minute phone call in 22 days time.

I would say the NHS and Royal Mail are the services that I use the most.

I am disabled I have autism and I have early onset osteoarthritis. Therefore the NHS is very important to me in terms of physiotherapy and pain medication and mental health help.

My children are clearly autistic but as yet undiagnosed I am currently awaiting assessments for them CAMHS. I have been told that the assessments may take up to 2 years until my children are seen.

2 years in a child's life is a hell of a long time it is disgusting that there is not enough help available out there for children with mental health issues in the UK.

Therefore I think there could be improvements within the mental health sector of the NHS, however the government are failing the NHS as they need so much more funding and so many more staff. I am sickened at some of the stories I've heard regarding the NHS from people who work for the NHS it is heart breaking for the staff to see people in need of help and not being able to help them.

In terms of Royal Mail I rely on them for appointments being sent and other important letters. Again the government are letting this sector down these people are being worked to the bone with absolutely next to no pay. Something needs to be done.