Single mum 'choosing between heating and flushing loo' in cost of living squeeze

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‘I want the government to consider what it must feel like to have to keep the heating turned off on the coldest days of the year, or to limit the number of times you flush the toilet in order to save water.'

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A single mum is facing ‘impossible decisions’ due to the massive increase in the cost of living affecting households across the country.

Describing how she tries to make savings, Gemma, who left an 11 year career in the police after her daughter was born, said: ‘I work from home, usually at the top of the house where it’s a little warmer. I wear a thermal hat and lots of layers as I can’t warrant turning the heating on just for myself.

Save the Children campaigner Gemma, who lives near Luton in Bedfordshire, said she felt fortunate to receive some financial help through Universal Credit, which helped her pay for childcare and supported her return to work after maternity leave. ‘This slash to incomes came at the worst possible time, just as the furlough scheme came to an end for millions of people and the cost of living started to increase dramatically.

Gemma, who gave evidence to Commons Work and Pensions Committee last year about the effect of the cut, added: ‘I want the government to consider what it must feel like to have to keep the heating turned off on the coldest days of the year, or to limit the number of times you flush the toilet in order to save water. This is the real impact of the double whammy of rising living costs and a cut to benefits.

‘Parents we work with had already seen their household budgets stretched to the limit by the pandemic. Now, as we seek to recover and move on from the pandemic, families face impossible choices like whether to heat their home or buy clothes for their children.

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