A WOMAN was forced to sell her wedding ring to pay her energy bills according to a new study revealing the heartbreaking stories of poverty-stricken Brits.
In 40 in-depth interviews of residents in Leeds, Yorkshire, researchers received grim reports of life during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
1
One woman said: “I actually sold my wedding ring and engagement ring just so I can top up the electric.”
Another woman said: “I’ve been in bins before to try and feed. It’s horrible. It’s the worst feeling ever.”
Meanwhile one man reported going to extreme lengths when he couldn’t afford the electricity to boil the kettle.
He said that this forced him to pull up the floorboards in his house and burn them to boil water over an open fire, just to be able to cook a Pot Noodle.
More than 30 of those studied had some form of loan, credit card, debt or arrears.
Some even turned to loan sharks, while others went without food or electricity to save money.
One interviewee said: “I were on the dole and the money you get back wasn’t enough.
“I’ve borrowed money from backstreet loans…and it’s extortionate what I’m paying back.”
Most read in Money
The study, by the University of Leeds, partly blamed “deductions” from Universal Credit, which cut 2.1 million claimants’ benefits by £62 per month on average.
These deductions are usually used to pay back debts, often taken out during the five week wait for the first payment.
Daniel Edmiston, a Sociology professor who co-wrote the report, told The Mirror: “We haven’t seen this kind and severity of poverty in the UK for decades.
“People are in increasingly desperate and unsafe situations.”
It comes ahead of the Government’s Autumn Statement on Thursday, which is set to unveil measures to combat soaring inflation and spiralling costs.
This will reportedly include increasing benefits in line with inflation rather than wage growth, as the former is the higher of the two.
Other support for those struggling include direct support with bills from the government for people on low-incomes as well as various independent charities and food banks.
You can find information about your nearest food bank on The Trussell Trust’s website, while information on other support can be found by searching “cost of living support” online.
