On these pages, you’ll find what we’re learning through the Changing Realities project. This will include regular briefings, blogs from the project team, and our live archive of everyday experiences of life on a low income during the cost of living crisis.
Advice.Scot
Citizens Advice
I cant begin to express my horror and worry about the details of the latest budget.
It's almost as though a psychological protection mechanism has developed of its own accord regarding any thoughts on the matter. Like 'writers block' has set in. I can see how not talking thinking or writing about it is an avoidance strategy. Because I know, deep down, the effects from the proposed changes are likely to be devastating for us.
It would seem that the government does not think the cost of living crisis affects people on legacy benefits the same as everybody else... I received a letter today explaining that the new benefit rates are being introduced in April, but the amount I receive will stay the same as is has for more than five years now. As I was changed over from incapacity benefit to ESA I received an additional payment so I would not lose money at that time. I real terms however cost's of food, bills and other essential items are still increasing but the money I receive stays the same. How is this fair, to expect those on legacy benefits to have to find even more ways to make cut backs in order to survive. This is no way to expect people to live when there is no other choice.
The cost of living is starting to bite me now, with the cold snap we had a few weeks ago, I was chewing up around £5 a day on gas, am on a pre payment meter, and I've just started to struggle now, I've had to turn the boiler temp down to 50c and heating on 18c when I get a bit cold it goes to 19c or 20c for an hour or less, then back down.
I've never had a struggle like this before.
Boris is being questioned of his party shenanigans during lockdowns. He's claiming he didn't know he was breaking the rules he stood in front of TV cameras and told us to do.
He is also taking every political person who he partied with down with him.
If he gets away with this, it proves corruption at the highest level.
The weather is a great deal warmer currently.
We're almost baking hot with the heating timed to come on early morning. I've definitely become acclimatised to cooler temperatures. Doesn't make the matter of high energy costs any better to stomach though.
Gutted about the changes to benefits in the spring budget. There'll be devastating consequences for those with health issues or disabilities.
Have the government gone mad?
It's almost 12 months since we first moved here. Just had a reminder letter about the 12 month redirection service I purchased from Royal Mail. They are inviting me to renew the service. Got excited to see in small print that customers in receipt of UC were offered a concessionary rate. When I checked on the website there is in fact a magnificent sum of £8 saving to be had. Sheesh?! Was expecting to see the fee sliced in half there for a brief moment. It's like another kick in the teeth for people on a low income. When I think about all the junk mail I'd be paying for with my name on, is it really worth the bother? Needless to say I won't be paying the '£60' renewal fee...
It's 'Single Parents Day' - it's that day for me every day.
My mental health is in the toilet right now! I put on the smile and the jolly persona but I’m dying inside. It’s been comic relief this week and both the primary and secondary school expected financial donations “own clothes day for comic relief, all pupils to donate!” So instead of embarrassing my children by not allowing them to donate when their friends are, I’ve had to stretch out what little groceries we had even further. Due to this my husband and I haven’t eaten in 2 days to make sure the we can keep the kids fed as much as possible. How can schools be so blind in the times we are in? “It’s only a couple of quid”, but that couple of quid is the difference between being hungry and saving face for my kids sake. Already struggling with poverty but expected to donate cash we don’t have to support a charity to help prevent poverty. Oh the irony.
Hi there very important question.
My experience was not very good. No one helped me to apply for benefits. I searched online to seek help and take it from there.
Plans to scrap [insert pension related thing here] scrapped due to backlash,
I've seen five such articles in the last week. So backlash over largely conservative voters means the government will backtrack but not stuff that effects largely labour or lib dem voters like the recent budget that punishes the more vulnerable with additional vulnerability.
I laid awake in bed last night, cold sweat panic of being forced to look for work again, these last two and half months of being on LCWRA had given me a false sense of security that the government would finally let me focus on healing, focusing on being well enough to be able to work. I look forward to being able to work again one day, I don't know when yet, could be a few years cos treatment doesn't happen overnight and is a process. But if I have too look for work or forced into work while seeking treatment it will jeopardise my healing process with additional stress. There is literally no job I can do safely with my mental health as it currently in, I'd pose a health and safety hazard, be a risk to myself my colleagues and potential clients/customers. No one will employ me and no special measures, besides having a constant supervisor assigned to insuring I'm safe and well every few minutes will enable me to work as things currently stand. I'm not even able to safely care for my children until after treatment due to how my mental health poses a risk to their development and welfare. I get a lot of support from social services and a lot of access to my children cos social see me as sick and vulnerable and deserving of help, but while I'm deemed too ill to care for my kids the gov thinks me and people like me can work. I wish I could, I'd love to role model that to my kids, and one day I will. But I can't run before I can walk. Its mental. I dread the utter desperation if hunger and cold, after my childhood trauma such retriggering makes self harm and suicidal thoughts stronger. I'm fine, safe, right now but if things keep on getting worse and more unsafe (like it's mental that people like me aren't safe in our own country, not safe from hunger or cold or starvation, like this is Britain FFS, how can government do this to its own people!), If things keep getting worse then how will my mental health ever get better if I can't just focus on healing for a short time. In the factor of my life, a few years out if the workforce to heal is small compared to lifetime out of work cos no one will employ me. Sometimes it feels like the government is just trying to kill off as many poor and vunerable persons that it can, cheapest way to lower their unemployment rates if we're dying. And loads of evidence that mental illness lowers life expectancy, as does stress and hunger and cold.
As for sanctions, they're disgusting, Government sanctioned torture. We've clearly never moved on from Victorian punish the poor mentality and it shows.
I’m enraged by the Spring Budget. It feels like an attack on mothers.
In principle I support universal free childcare (as long as it is correctly funded and does not compromise quality which I’m deeply suspicious of here) but the problem with the lobbying power of Pregnant Than Screwed is that it’s not particularly intersectional. Whilst great news for mothers who WANT to return to work sooner, who enjoy their jobs and have careers that offer fulfilling progression, that is still only two fifths of mothers surveyed. That’s not even 50%. It’s a minority. And it has opened the doors for the government to target mothers on benefits. Currently the main carer (which is so often mothers) isn’t required to look for work/take work until their child turns 3 years old. I was strongly encouraged to start looking when my child turned two (because of the 2 year old offer) but it wasn’t a requirement. Once the free childcare from 9 months kicks in, mothers on benefits will be REQUIRED to send their baby into childcare and look for/take work from 9 months after giving birth. Often in jobs they don’t love and have no career progression. That CHOICE will be taken away from them. The right to be a stay-at-home mother whilst children are young will become a PRIVILEGE of the better off.
I am a feminist. But I am a feminist for policies that support ALL people who identify as women, and do not trade improvements for one group of women (and this primarily improves life for white, middle class women) at the detriment of another.
No one.
This budget, is in part, the result of having, a billionaire PM & a millionaire Chancellor.
Basically one last thing to mention, the government are really scraping the bottom of the barrel here...
Next it's. "Children up chimneys" !!! Sanctioned if they come down too soon.
The spring budget was announced today.
The Conservatives priorities are business and getting more people back to work.
Providing extra childcare support to get parents into work. Is it a positive to ensure people are better off in employment or is it to get more people to pay taxes?
I hated going back to work when my baby was 6 months old. I missed all her first words and steps witnessed by paid strangers in childcare. I was constantly exhausted as my baby wasn't a good sleeper. She seemed constantly poorly catching every illness from nursery which I paid £1000 a month. The nursery squashed children in like sardines and the quiet ones left in the corner as toddlers fought for attention from the staff.
I didn't get paid for taking time off work to look after a poorly child. But still had to pay the childcare. I was more broke than I was on benefits at home.
Politicians who have been brought up by nanny and dumped into boarding school could not understand the importance of bonding with children when they are young. I believe this separation from parents at such a around age contributes to poor mental health, with separation anxiety of children and parents who are mentally and physically exhausted and still unable to afford quality time with their families.
Yet another Budget day that was not designed to help some the most needy in society, being a claimant of Legacy benefits I can see nothing that is going to help me in any way. It just seems that the cost of living is still going to increase at an alarming rate putting more obstacles in the way and more pressure to try to keep utility bills as low as possible that is already having a serious impact on my mental and physical heath.
I've had nothing but threats of a fine from school. I got an attendance fine threat after 2 days off physically ill. Same month we’re warned about my child's fever, they have 2 days off and I’m threatened with a fine. This is a child who’s waiting for dual assessments. Waiting for a speech and language assessment.
Well it’s budget day!! Am I excited that there will be real changes made to support the lowest income families? Am I expecting any real change to stop the downward tornado that is the British economy hitting families? Do I hold any hope? I’m really not sure I am, we have been brushed under the carpet for such a long time that it’s easier for the government to carry on this practice than actually fix broken Britain. The 2020’s where life in the Uk is only safe if you have lots of money!
I’ve had no support in applying for benefits. I registered for job seekers allowance / universal credit myself and also chased the council to register for free school meals and sort my council tax benefit. As someone who has an ADHD diagnosis, these executive function tasks are immensely challenging. I had no idea that there are people or agencies out there to help! I have no idea if I am entitled to anything else… It’s frustrating as I feel so alone and don’t know anyone else in a similar situation to ask.
Skint again. Haven't paid my British Gas bill which is over 350 pound for 1 month. I just can't cope.
I had a little help with the DLA forms for my son.
Everything else I’ve done alone, and I find them very stressful.
Not sure as been on benefits for a good few years so can't remember, possibly when I was in a woman's refuge
I found out on Friday from my child's school, that they will be closed for 2 days this weeks due to strike action, and that further strike action will be taking place next month.
Whilst I do have sympathies for the reasons behind the strike action, I can't imagine how disruptive the impact of having 2 days off school in one week, can be towards a child's education, as well as the impact it could have on many working parents who are having to arrange childcare at very short notice, for the days that the school will be on strike, so that they can still go to work.