Stark reality of Lancaster and Morecambe families too hard up to 'eat or heat'

As costs increase for our food, energy, fuel and other expenses, there is a growing number of people concerned about how they’ll make ends meet each month.

The increased energy price cap is expected to add a staggering £600-700 per year to household bills.

This is on top of high inflation, a recent cut to Universal Credit and a National Insurance rise that’s planned for April.

At Citizens Advice North Lancashire, which offers free and confidential advice to any resident who needs it in the Lancaster district, handing out food parcels has become the new normal, with the number of people desperately needing support ever increasing.

One family received an electricity bill for more than £600 in a single month - which took more than half their income.

Chief executive Helen Greatorex said she has never known such a dire situation.

"I have worked here since 1992 and never in my whole career seen people in such hardship that really means they haven’t got enough to eat or warm their home,” she said. “That includes all the austerity years.

"The evidence is in front of our faces.

"We had never even given out a food parcel until 2016, but from this year, for the first time ever for some people, the only thing we can do for people is give them a food parcel.

"Even with all the help we can give them they still can’t afford to eat or heat their house.

"I am utterly gobsmacked, it’s heartbreaking.”

Joanna Young, research & campaigns lead, said: “Couples who are both in work are using the foodbank – that can’t be right.

"Anecdotally, the number of families using foodbanks is going up.

”We see a lot of people who had a life plan and then they got sick, or had a bereavement, or a relationship breakdown, and everything changed. They are not scroungers.”

It currently costs around £600,000 a year to run North Lancashire CAB, which started in 1939 and is one of the oldest in the country.

It’s an independent charity but works closely with Lancaster City Council, who are their core fundraiser.

Sixty per cent of their clients are women and about 60 per cent have disabilities or a long-term health condition.

"We have two aims,” Joanna said. “To solve the problems people are having and to challenge why these problems are happening.

"Issues are becoming more and more complex, and we have to speak up for people because no one else will.”

To help with the current situation, the Chancellor recently announced two measures:

*A £200 discount to be applied to bills from October 2022, which will then be paid back out of future bills over five years.

*A £150 discount on Council Tax to homes in bands A-D from April this year.

However, although these measures are welcome, Citizens Advice North Lancashire is worried that it may not be enough to support those who face real ongoing hardship, especially those on fixed incomes such as disabled people or people living on pensions.

You can call Citizens Advice North Lancashire free on 0808 278 7882 or you can email [email protected]

Top tips from Citizens Advice to help you with the cost of living

First things first - where's your money going each month? Do you have a written budget? If you don’t, it may be worth creating one by going through your bank statement and working out what you spent your money on last month, and where you can make savings. There is a free budgeting tool on the Citizens Advice website which you can use - https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/budgeting/budgeting/work-out-your-budget/

Can I increase my income?

To help with costs, you could perhaps look at picking up extra shifts, getting a second job, or checking to see if you’re eligible for benefits. There are a lot of Job Centre vacancies at the moment and the minimum wage is set to rise to £9.50 per hour this April which will help many people.

What kind of benefits could I receive?

Millions of pounds in benefits go unclaimed each year. You might well be eligible for Universal Credit, even if you are working, or possibly a discount off your council tax. If you are living on a pension you might want to check to see if you qualify for Pension Credit or Attendance Allowance.

If you have children, are you claiming Child Benefit, or could you be eligible for free school meals or healthy start vouchers?

Try using an online benefits checker such as Entitled To or Turn 2 Us to see if you qualify for any benefits. If you’re not sure, you can contact your local Citizens Advice office for help.

What can I do about rising energy prices?

Regardless of what you do, it’s likely that your energy bills are going to go up, if they haven’t already.

You might want to consider installing a Smart Meter so you can see how much power you are using – ask your energy provider about this.

If your supplier has gone bust, don’t switch providers until your account has been moved to your new supplier. This is because you may find it harder to get any money you are owed.

• Take meter readings and keep a note of them

• Keep your old bills if you have them, to prove your payment history, credit balance or debt

• Make a note of your account balance

Further advice and help:

Contact your local council if you’re struggling to pay your bills, and don’t ignore council tax arrears as it won't go away.

You could get help from the Household Support Fund which is available until March 31. After March, there is likely to be another fund if you are experiencing hardship. You can contact Lancaster City Council's Community Hub on 01524 582000.

The Warm Homes discount for this year (2021/22) is nearly at an end but some suppliers may still have schemes open that may help you if you can’t pay your bill. Contact your supplier and ask for help.

Look up some energy saving advice – there’s loads out there and services in Lancashire such as Cosy Homes in Lancashire or LEAP (Local Energy Advice Partnership) can give free advice about ways to save energy during winter.

If you are a private tenant and your energy performance certificate is E or below your landlord should take steps to improve the energy efficiency of your property. Call Shelter or Citizens Advice if you need help with a housing issue.

United Utilities has some helpful schemes for people struggling to pay their bills. Talk to them if you are worried about paying your water bill.

BT offers fibre broadband at £15 per month for people receiving income-based benefits, so if you’re on Universal Credit, pension credit or other working age benefits, take a look, as you could save.

Consider joining a food club such as Eggcup which operates in the Lancaster district. A food club is a bit different to a food bank. Food clubs provide members with surplus stock from local supermarkets and suppliers. It costs a few pounds a week to join and you get quite a bit of food and you can choose what you take. If you are really struggling and don’t have enough food, you could get a referral from the Council or from Citizens Advice to a food bank, which is free, but you don’t get to choose what foods you are given and you can only use a food bank a limited number of times.

If you are getting Universal Credit or Housing Benefit and you’re struggling to pay your rent, you could be eligible for a Discretionary Housing Payment from your local council, especially if your rent has gone up. Speak to your local council, Citizens Advice or visit the Shelter website for more information.

Debt

If you have debt, don’t ignore it. It won’t go away and it will get worse if you do.

The key thing with debt is to work out which debts are what are called ‘priority debts’. Priority debts are ones that can cause serious problems if you don’t deal with them, such as losing your home, getting your electricity cut off, having bailiffs come round or being sent to prison. Priority debts include rent arrears, mortgage arrears, council tax arrears, gas or electricity arrears, tv licence payments, overpaid tax credits, unpaid income tax, NI or VAT, or unpaid child maintenance.

If you have debts, make a list of them so you know how much you owe. This can be hard and feel overwhelming but it’s a great start. Once you know what you owe, you can start sorting it out. Let your creditors know that you are struggling. Communication is by far the best tactic.

It can be hard to sort out debts – so if you need help call Citizens Advice, Christians against Poverty or Step Change - the important thing is that the debt service you are speaking to is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). These services are free. If someone offers to charge you money to help with debt, be cautious.