I just think it's a real disgrace, the price of money or food at the minute. It's so expensive, literally I can't believe the price of fruit. I mean, both my children's schools, one's 14 and one's ten, they both require fruit daily. But it's getting to the point where it's cheaper to buy biscuits. I know you're not really allowed to send them in with biscuits, but it's just trying to keep up all the time. It's just ridiculous. My son loves strawberries and he's on the spectrum, but he's not diagnosed. And there used to be, like, say, for example, 20 strawberries in a packet, and there used to be, like, £1.99, and now you're getting, like, about ten strawberries if even in a packet, and it's like it can be as much as £3.59.

Yesterday I paid £2.49 for, like, ten strawberries, and I was just like, seriously, what is the point? This is crazy. Then, we used to be able to get wee pots of strawberries, or like mixed fruit, like a wee ready made pot, and it was a pound, and now it's £1.59. And I'm talking about six months ago. Six months ago, it didn't seem this bad. No, it's just really bad.

And I've noticed in Northern Ireland, there is a shortage of fruit. You go to a store and there's very little fruit, and you're like, well, why is that happening? And then when you do get it, it's like an absolute luxury. But these are the things that we are told that we need to give our children for 'five a day', et cetera. And the school isn't budging on the fact that they need fruit for their break and nothing else. So what do you do? You just have to.

What a cold week and iced over this morning. Our buses were off due to strikes and I had no way to get my 14 year old daughter to school. I could have paid for a private taxi but I had little money left over from all the other extra expenses. Food, gas and electric so I had to keep her off very reluctantly I might add. It’s terrible that I had to make that decision based on finances.

Panicking!

It’s always going up!

I used to shop at just one supermarket until I noticed there is a price difference to where you shop. So now I split shop between Asda and Tesco. I don’t drive so rely on delivery.

By comparing what I would buy between the 2, I do save a little each time.

However feeding a family of 5 where 2 are still in nappies is stressful. I have a what I see as a big budget for food for the month but sometimes things happen that cause it to go down.

This month I’m having to use zilch to spread the cost of my food shop over 6 weeks.

I do wish the prices would start to come down!

The cost of food has increased greatly in the last year. It has been harder to budget. I tend to cut meals and I’ve had no choice but to cut down on things such as fruit, soft drinks, fruit juice and snacks. I can only afford to buy essential foods for us. I'm sure this is having an impact on both me and the children, we are certainly unwell often and run down. I think the increased food prices are caused by a number of factors, not just the one can be pinpointed. Overall I expect the costs of food will stay high. We can attribute this to; the war in the Ukraine, Brexit and climate change. I do know that food and fuel costs are a global problem and not simply just affecting the UK.

It is amazing how with probably even more limited resources, Changing Realities have been able to deliver support to all participants and multiple of timely updates.

You really get to feel ‘part’ of something real and game changing.

We are more than just families spread across the country, we are actually a community of people, coming together for the better good of the community! Kudos to the CR staff team

So universal credit been in touch with me about my low wage this month bearing in mind I've told them as I struggle with childcare I take parental leave which is for single parents who do struggle with childcare which is unpaid. They're wanting me to go in for an appointment - I've already told them I have to pick my son up from school due to his anxiety of being bullied. I don't live near his school. I had a massive amount of pressure on my shoulders thinking they were going to not pay me.

Firstly I must say that I hope that when the election comes next year that we get a change of government! But how long is it going to take to sort out the mess that has already been made? The Autumn statement has done absolutely nothing positive for the situation that my daughter and I are living through. As I survive on Legacy benefits and child support, I do not pay National Insurance, so there is no help there. Legacy benefits do not rise in line with inflation in fact they do not rise at all. The only thing saving us is the fact that I have recently been awarded PIP which will increase and obviously there will be an increase in child benefit. None of this however will cover the full cost of rising prices in utility bills, groceries and all other household expences. Then on top of this there is now the worry about sancions on benefits and being forced to look for work that I am not fit or capable of doing. Surely if these benefit sanctions go ahead then those that are affected will lose free prescriptions and dental treatment and are going to cost the NHS and government a lot more money in the long run as people will just not be able to afford the cost, causing further health problems and shorter lives. Is this what the government is hoping to happen, that all those who are unable to support their selves will die off leaving the wealthy in society to benefit even more?

With a lot of hard work and a lot of stress with it!

Trying to make any change to anything requires so much thought process. Outweighing pros and cons. But in the end it’s staying optimistic and as positive as you can to ensure the changes you're making will benefit even if it’s not immediately.

My son's dad is going to prison so no CSA at Xmas looks like I'm going to struggle yet again, I'm going to go out of my mind knowing what's coming. Having to look at charities as my son needs a new bed to help get one everything comes in 3's 😥😢

Frustrated with the “compassionate conservative government” 🤬🤬🤬

So disgusted watching the autumn statement today they’re all sat laughing and joking having the time of their life and they’ve decided to cut national insurance by 2% now it’s my understanding that we pay national insurance and that is for the NHS and such things so they’ve not cut the tax that goes to them, but cuts the tax that benefits things we need by a very small percentage an average person on £35,400 a year will see a benefit of £400 a year that’s great so us low income people seen nothing at all whatsoever. They are just an absolute joke.

I have also struggled with my SEN daughter and jumping through endless hoops in order to make sure she is receiving adequate support. I have been left angry, disappointed, disheartened and exhausted from having to constantly fight her corner. I feel like in order to make change happen, you need to have the motivation to fight the system and call out it’s wrongdoings. I am still yet to get an EHCP plan in place for her, but she has an IAP. The process is long winded and not easy, when I see she needs more support I make sure I shout about it. I would rather be called the ‘annoying’ mum than the mum who accepted less than her daughter deserves.