SAVING UP
We skip meals, never go out & do our food shop in TEN different stores to save cash… but money still keeps running out
She revealed why summer is a particularly hard time for her family
A STRUGGLING mother says her money keeps running out despite going the extra mile to cut down on her family's expenses.
Ruth, 44, revealed that she has to go to 10 different shops to "get the best bargains" in the hopes of making ends meet for her three children and husband - who uses a wheelchair.
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Ruth, a former kitchen porter from Manchester, says that since the cost of living crisis hit, it has become even harder to put food on the table - especially when the children are home for the holidays.
She told the : "Most of the time, we knew we'd have food in by the end of the week. But that's not a guarantee anymore."
Ruth and her husband - a former cleaner who damaged his spine following a fall at work around 10 years ago - now have to skip meals, and make a number of other harsh cutbacks.
Speaking about summer holidays, she said: "There's not any fun things to do. Sometimes the food doesn't even stretch. It just makes life very isolated and restricted.
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"I don't go out, I don't smoke and I don't drink.
"I don't know how long I can manage like this. It doesn't do your mental health any good. You get sick of saying no to everything. You're just stuck in some rut."
Ruth said that during the summer, her two teenage children being at home sets the family back another £60 a week, due to them not being able to claim college lunch bursaries.
She said that money seems to be running out quicker than it used to, but the bills are still increasing.
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Ruth was recently diagnosed with the chronic condition fibromyalgia, which can leave her in agony.
While she and her husband both have limited mobility, they do not have a car, so must endure the inconvenience of going to several different shops to stretch their expenses as far as possible.
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Ruth keeps an eye out for bulk-buy discounts and reduced items at supermarkets, and will sometimes use food banks.
She receives Universal Credit, Carer's Allowance and the disability benefit Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
She did not know she was entitled to PIP until using a benefit calculator set up by charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP).
The extra help means Ruth no longer has to turn off the heating during the winter, but the family still have to cut corners to make ends meet.
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- What is Universal Credit? Everything you need to know including how to apply
- Universal Credit calculator: How much can I claim and how do I apply?
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- What is a Universal Credit advance payment? How to apply and pay it back
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- How to claim Universal Credit if you’re self-employed
- How many hours can I work on Universal Credit and will my payment be reduced?
- What is a Universal Credit budgeting advance and how much could I get?
- What is the Universal Credit housing element and how much of your rent does it pay?
According to CAP, the financial strain of trying to survive on chronically low incomes is leaving some people thinking about suicide.
The charity's frontline teams are reporting that more clients than ever are battling long-term illnesses, poor mental health, and having to live in unsuitable or unsafe homes.
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CAP's CEO Stewart McCulloch said: "I know that poverty can seem unrelenting, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Everyone in this country should be able to live a full life and not just scrape by.
"Getting the right help and support is the first step that has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people and meant they could thrive, and not just barely survive."
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity works out what you could get.
Entitledto's determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data.
You can use to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
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