I can’t afford to heat a pizza for my son – this is the reality of Britain’s cost of living crisis | Jo Barker-Marsh

I’m a full-time carer on universal credit. While the government stands by, my bills have doubled, and I’m fearful for the future

My son sat on the stairs of our home crying on Monday, and for once I had no more words. I could not justify my decision to not cook his tiny, budget pizza beyond that of making sure we practised being poorer. I didn’t feel able to cook it because it would cost too much to turn the oven on for this one small thing.

My 12-year-old son has additional needs and significant sensory processing issues. He has not been in school for almost five months and I am his full-time, unpaid carer. I am currently claiming universal credit. Right now, I am furiously paddling to stay afloat and trying to stay far enough away from the edge financially that we don’t lose our home. But even that is not a given.

Jo Barker-Marsh is a full-time carer and a participant in the Covid Realities project, which documents life on a low income

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/8sPFY51