So, here’s my story, I’m Dave and due to the Covid pandemic I am currently not working.
Pre-pandemic I was working in a care home and this sent my anxieties through the roof knowing that other staff and residents were catching Covid as it spread like wild fire. I had to finish in April 2020 and started on Universal Credit. I have lived on my own for 18 months due to a relationship breakdown and was made homeless having to move out. I moved to an unfurnished council house and received help from Community Voluntary Services for a bed, oven and washing machine which affected my self-esteem as I have always paid for my own. My 16-year-old son has moved back in with me from March 2022. It has taken me over 12 months to find my feet and get my budget sorted so I could pay my bills and get a treat for my son if there was anything left over. As I finally started to see the light at the end of the tunnel, the cost-of-living increase hit us having a colossal impact on my mental state and I no longer feel well enough to begin the pathway back to work as a result.
It is to be expected that bills go up, it has happened time and time again over the years so why would this year be any different, one would ask? What has sent a shock through my system however is the gravity of just how much this has been and certainly sets the tone for the reason I am now in crisis. My energy bills alone have risen, not by the anticipated 50% but by 80%. I previously paid £65 per month for gas and electric and now pay £117. When I barely had anything left over per month prior to this increase, where am I expected to find £52 more per month? I have tried to manage my budget and have cut back on food and treats, resulting in a three stone weight loss. I used to love to cook but I am now restricted to buying frozen or tinned food as it’s all I can afford. Cooking was my escape, my time out and I am no longer able to cook the way I want to as I can’t afford the ingredients and simple spices.
I have told my advocate that helps to support me with my mental health and to get access to services, that I am getting by, but in reality I am struggling. He bought me basic spices and this genuine act of kindness made me feel like I had won the lottery, but I can’t accept him doing this on a regularly basis. I am trying other ways to save money, I only use an electric heater for five minutes to heat the living room instead of using my gas central heating but worry this won’t get me through during the winter. I don’t socialise as I can’t afford it and I haven’t bought clothes for myself for years.
I have no choice but to keep going but it feels as though this vicious cycle I am in will never stop. I live with a sense of dread knowing that the cost of living is just going to keep rising as the year goes on. My son is a typical lad and loves football. Instead of being able to enjoy this with him, I live with a sense of dread for when the day comes where he grows out of his football kit, as I can’t afford to get him new clothes let alone football ones, as trivial as that may seem to some. I don’t get any help financially from my ex-partner and single parenting can be so tough especially when it comes to money. I want to get back on the pathway to work but can’t as the impact of not having enough money to pay my bills, keep warm or eat healthy continues to impact negatively on my mental health. I used to just want to be a good Dad, have a nice home and food on the table and enjoy the occasional holiday. My future aspirations have changed to not wanting to starve, freeze to death or be unemployed due to the anxiety and depression this cost-of-living increase causes me.