How is the cost of living crisis impacting you?

Ross_Alumni

Good afternoon  

Scope are trying to find out how families with disabled children are being impacted by the Cost of living crisis.

 

We’d like to know what issues you are experiencing during the cost of living crisis? What is your primary worry at this time? For example, food, fuel, energy or something else?

 

This will directly inform what Scope focuses on for upcoming work on this.

Thanks  

bg844

My sister has a young disabled daughter, she said she has definitely felt the squeeze. With her daughter requiring frequent supervision through both the day and night she obviously uses much more electricity and gas than a normal single parent with a disabled child needing machines plugged in (when the child isn’t at school).

During the day in order to try and curb a tiny proportion of her energy bills she is switching everything off that she can, in the supermarkets she said she has definitely made the little changes. For example, buying own brand cereal instead of Weetabix and others which are very expensive. 

Other than this though she does not really feel the pinch too extreme. Her daughter (my niece) and herself do receive maximum support in benefits and feel well looked after, she has made them few changes just to make sure she is doing the best she can. I do definitely feel sorry for those who are struggling even with maximum support, where we live things are cheaper compared to the South.

As for myself as an adult, I have definitely seen things rise and it does look scary how much things will end up being but until things rise too extreme luckily I should just be able to stay on top at this current time.

woodbine

In a nutshell inflation is now 3 times what the increase in benefits was only a month ago 3% v 9% inflation, something has to be done.

I really feel for disabled people who because of their disability use more gas/electric, also for the parents of disabled children, my only useful advice would be to check you are getting all the benefits you/your family are entitled to.

Ross_Alumni

Thanks @woodbine and @bg844 for sharing your thoughts and experience.   Excited to hear from any other members too 

SueHeath

I would say the biggest thing i have noticed is the food cost's in the shops and the cost of petrol/des
We have not had the heating on much, but the winter months i think we will notice more, so we are trying to think in advance.
One of my son's have a young family and it is already having an impact on them ie foods/utilities/fuel 
It is the young families, aged/disabled who can not get out much, people already in debt or on the bread line, that i worry for.

Wibbles

I am extremely concerned about the cost of power for next winter - how will I and other people on fixed incomes manage to pay 3 times what we paid last winter for heating our homes?
We have always been careful and kept our bills down but can't afford the £150+ per month predicted
The government MUST step in NOW and provide reassurance that financial assistance will be provided at the time

bg844

Wibbles said:

I am extremely concerned about the cost of power for next winter - how will I and other people on fixed incomes manage to pay 3 times what we paid last winter for heating our homes?
We have always been careful and kept our bills down but can't afford the £150+ per month predicted
The government MUST step in NOW and provide reassurance that financial assistance will be provided at the time

I have upped my Direct Debit to £230 a month now whilst I don’t have the heating on to try and mitigate even a fraction of what my bill is predicted to rise to. Doubt it’ll even matter much but this winter my heating definitely won’t be on in the mornings just the evenings. I’ll probably have to put a dressing gown on over my clothes because I still can not justify these silly prices. My bill used to be £110 a month all year round and then I put the heating on whenever with no thought.

Energy costs + other bills rising + the cost of Christmas = worrying times.

woodbine

There is talk that the govt. is considering increasing this years warm home discount from £150 to £600 but like I said it's only talk.

Jo_2022

Good afternoon Ross!  What an interesting topic! I think not being able to have an annual holiday and putting off buying clothes comes to mind. Hope this helps.     

Ross_Alumni

Thanks again to everybody for your contributions here so far  

Marcelabayres

SueHeath said:

I would say the biggest thing i have noticed is the food cost's in the shops and the cost of petrol/des
We have not had the heating on much, but the winter months i think we will notice more, so we are trying to think in advance.
One of my son's have a young family and it is already having an impact on them ie foods/utilities/fuel 
It is the young families, aged/disabled who can not get out much, people already in debt or on the bread line, that i worry for.

Yes, I totally agree with that. I used to buy a pack of noodle soup for one pound. Every pack had 4 or five soup depending on the brand but now I can't find it. Also in the milk, yogurt and noodle soups the price increased.

I realized that non healthy food like eating bread & cheese and noodle soup was cheaper than buying yogurt, fruit and tuna canned. The no healthy food last more time than the healthy one.

woodbine

Expect the govt. to announce £10 billion of help for those on low incomes tomorrow, no idea who will be helped or what the help will be as they have been busy today.

leeCal

The current crisis has made me review all my costs. I’m seriously thinking of getting rid of the car for example.

if they’re going to help I hope that they remember those who are on the state pension alone. 

woodbine

leeCal said:

The current crisis has made me review all my costs. I’m seriously thinking of getting rid of the car for example.

if they’re going to help I hope that they remember those who are on the state pension alone. 

Reading what's coming out of Downing St. they seem to be about to do something big with warm home discount and possible more help on Council Tax, all funded by a windfall tax on the big energy companies.
Should be announced tomorrow as Parliament rises for it's break.

SueHeath

Yep i got the same impression @woodbine from the 10 o'clock news last night sounded like they have a plan, lets hope it's for everyone tho.
Well i don't think he will be throwing a party for us ha ha 

The_BatDad

Hi, at the moment I am living back my mum's.  I'm on Universal Credit and have been "juggled" around by the job centre placing me with different organisations which has left me in a mess job wise.  I pay towards living here, my bills and towards things for my 3 and a half year old daughter.  This leaves me with very little money for myself.
After two years the job centre has given me a "capability to work" form", which means I may get some  extra money.
Most of my DLA covers my car.
I suffer from anxiety and depression which has affected my disability and my stress levels due to the job centre not understanding my needs.  Though I should be on the mends as I have made complaints.
But it has been a real whirlwind.

I just wish the goverment would understand that disabled peoples lives matter just much as the next person

PedroJ

Hi, the cost of power is getting ridiculous for us. 2 disabled family members and most Monday mornings we are £15+ in debt on our smart meter. It's just lucky that they don't shut it off over the weekends or we would be without power for 2 days of the week even with limiting gametime/tv/etc. 
Really hoping that they do something about it soon before it gets worse.
 Thanks for listening.

nannymaroon

I've cancelled all non essential spending like new clothes/ shoes. I don't go out so my old clothes will do. 
I only switch on the hot water once a week ( I don't have central heating).
I sit with an electric blanket around my shoulders to keep warm.
If I need to replace household items I put a request on free cycle in the hope someone wants to donate something they no longer need. Or I buy second hand which I really don't mind because that's how I was raised and it helps the environment.

Is it true that people who get support based ESA  will get the £650 cost of living  help? People  like me who get contributions based ESA don't get it. Will PIP recipients qualify for the payment?
That's unfair. Trust this gov to use such a half a*rsed, cobbled together that doesn't  help those they claim to be helping. Timing is everything,
this is just a distraction from the sue gray report.

nannymaroon

woodbine said:

leeCal said:

The current crisis has made me review all my costs. I’m seriously thinking of getting rid of the car for example.

if they’re going to help I hope that they remember those who are on the state pension alone. 

Reading what's coming out of Downing St. they seem to be about to do something big with warm home discount and possible more help on Council Tax, all funded by a windfall tax on the big energy companies.
Should be announced tomorrow as Parliament rises for it's break.

They are taking lots of disabled folk off the warm homes discount.

marion61

I am over 60 and looking after an my adult daughter with autism, due to covid barely goes out anymore. We were already in debt and now I find I am always watching the smart meter to balance what I can do each day as she always needs to have certain things on for entertainment but I have to make sure that it does not go up too high, so therefore don't always get to do all that I wanted to do each day! On top of this one of my benefits has been reduced recently by £10 each 2 weeks (income support) All I get is the bare minimum of just over £100 per week - only recently been reduced prior to this because I turned 60 and now in receipt of just over £100 per month for a private pension!!!

racyguy

Seriously? Currently having to choose which bill to pay first, being an expert at putting people off with empty promises of payment, limiting the amount of food that we buy, boiling a kettle for hot water with the gas boiler switched off. The only saving grace is that we both have a free bus pass that we use to get around.
The future? even these recent offers of financial help from the government don't all apply to us - not being in receipt of a means tested benefit.
However we get through each week but we certainly don't dwell on where we will be in 6 months time - what happens happens.