It has been confirmed that the final Cost of Living payment for people on Low incomes will be paid from February 2024. 

As it stands prices are still increasing including Energy bills from January 2024. 

As a single mother/parent I’m already living on the breadline along with millions of other people in the UK. I’m a stay at home mother whilst my daughter is under the age of 4, otherwise I’m a Cover Teacher.  After I’ve paid bills I have £25 left per week which is painful enough as it is. If the cost of living wasn’t continuously on the increase then I’d accept that the government no longer needs to support us. 

Each day I worry sick about how I will afford a food shop to last me and my Daughter the month, then there is the energy bill which has also increased a substantial amount leaving me with less money, living in minus is not fun! 

Even people who are working full time are struggling with the cost of living which is having huge detrimental effects on people’s mental health, stability and wellbeing. 

A mental health review has recently stated the following; 
30% of adults in the UK have poorer quality sleep
23% meet with friends less often
15% pursued a hobby less often
12% exercised less often

This will only increase without ongoing support during such a difficult time. 

Since creating this petition I have read an article from a Former Prime Minister, who is expressing huge concerns for children and family poverty in the UK. He states the following; 

"I grew up in a mining town, which is a textile town producing Linoleum, with lots of slum housing, lots of real problems. And I thought that kind of poverty had gone". He goes on to say "But it's back now and you've got a million children who were not sleeping in a bed of their own... Two million families that don't have cookers and washing machines, and they can't actually fend for the children the way they want to". "Kids are not cleaning their teeth because they can't afford the toothpaste. And the soap is not being bought because it falls off the end of the shop when you have to buy the food and the food is costing more"!

The final part of the article goes on to talk about a very serious issue about a centre a charity runs in Wigan, he said: "On the first day it started, a father came in with his six-year-old son and said, 'I can no longer afford to keep him' and walked out. And the son was in absolute floods of tears - he was being deserted by his own father". 

Regardless of the past with government parties clashing, I think he has stated and highlighted true facts which are extremely serious and concerning and backs up the severity spoken about in this petition. 

 It is believed the government should extend this support as it’s been proved and shown that many people are struggling and using food banks more than ever. Food is a necessity as is keeping warm and having a secure home. 

Many people are proposing that the Government looks to raise Universal Credit in accordance to the costs that we are now having to endure here in the UK. A vast amount of people on Universal Credit are working too and need the extra support especially now costs have risen so high that many of us are struggling to pay for bills, and still have enough left over for the expenses that come with buying food. 

It is crucial that more support is carried through 2024 as a result of prices STILL rising at unaffordable rates. Too many people are already worried about where their next meal comes from, whether they can afford their rent and just trying to live an ordinary life without feeling there is no hope anymore. 

Our children deserve to live in a country where it is not a treat to buy food, and keep a roof over their head; while sadly witnessing parents breaking down over financial difficulties. Let’s push things forward so that next year we can get by financially better with the support of the government.

There needs more help and it’s up to us to raise this awareness so that the government truly understands their decisions and the effect it has on us ordinary folks!