Trying to make ends meet is an impossible effort, and things are rapidly getting worse. It’s time the government listened to people like us
Ella Michalski is part of Changing Realities, a project working with low-income families
In times of war, it is right that we focus on the human suffering of those affected by military action. But its ripple effects have worsened an already dire set of living standards for families like mine, who simply cannot meet the rising costs of the most basic of essentials. With Bank of England research showing that companies are expected to raise prices rapidly over the coming months, we feel genuinely terrified about the costs we’ll be facing.
What was once considered a temporary fiscal emergency after the invasion of Ukraine is now a persistent, gruelling reality for too many. The term “crisis” suggests something that we could move beyond. But this impossible effort to make ends meet is a constant now for millions. It has been going on for so long that it has become almost normal. Having to make impossible decisions about what to go without, and what vital item of expenditure can wait another week – or more likely month – is not normal, is not right; and it harms millions of families, day after day.
Ella Michalski is part of Changing Realities, a collaboration of parents and low-income families from across the UK working with researchers from theUniversity of Glasgow, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Child Poverty Action Group
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