single mum holly and her 11 year old daughter live in bristol. holly works in a local supermarket, but money is tight. i look at the smart meter and think, ok, i have got £2.50, let s say, and i think that has got to last. so i think, what uses the most? and then the telly will go off. and i think, we will sit here, we will talk and play games. but the telly is entertainment. i have been at work all day, my child is now in bed, and why shouldn t i get to sit and watch that? and, like many, holly is already seeing herfuel bills rise. she is on a prepayment meter, which could increase by £150 a year. on friday, i topped up using the utility app. i topped up £10. yesterday, it came on that i was already on emergency. so how much have you got? i ve got £9 left. since yesterday, i have already used £5. it is stressful because i don t
get paid till friday. i have now got to hope that £9 sees me till then. and, until she is paid, holly cannot afford to use the washing machine. so it s. this is my washing pile. i am not going to wash it till friday. it is one of the things i will put aside just to make sure that £9 sees me through. and all this coincides with the ending of the £20 a week uplift to universal credit that was introduced in the pandemic. the choices now are. i ve looked and thought, 0k, my daughter is going to have this for tea, but i will eat later, or i willjust have a sandwich. it is sacrifices i have made. and i m not ashamed. but we shouldn t live like it. no one should live like it. the government argues that as the economy opens up,