RETURNING to her freezing cold home after an exhausting 12-hour shift, Rucksana Ellahi doesn’t feel festive at all.
There are no presents under her tree this year and no plans for a Christmas dinner – all of her money has been going towards her rapidly increasing bills and helping support her family.
Despite working full-time as a care assistant, the 53-year-old single mum from Waltham Forest in London is barely making enough to cover her expenses.
She works anything from 54 to 60 hours a week travelling across the city to look after the elderly.
“My salary’s not keeping up with the cost of living and I’m really struggling. I’ve had to make a lot of cutbacks this year,” she said.
“I don’t have a good quality of life. It feels like I’m just working and paying the bills and there’s nothing to show for it by the end of the month.”
Rucksana, who lives with her son Hassan, 27, says the last three years have become increasingly difficult for her financially as the cost of everything has increased.
She’s on a salary of £42,000 but her bills come to a huge £2,000 a month, leaving her with £250 a month after bills.
It means by the time she’s paid for her weekly food shop, transport to work and household essentials, there is very little left over.
Meanwhile her son Hassan, who is studying to be a legal assistant and working part-time. He can’t afford to move out and she often helps support him, by paying for his travel to and from work or other expenses.
She has been forced to sell her car, which she was using to get to work, because she could no longer keep up with the £350 monthly payments.
It now means she has to spend much longer getting public transport to travel to her care jobs each day.
All of her subscriptions have had to be cancelled and she’s no longer able to go out to socialise with friends, which she was doing once a week before.
She’s had to turn down wedding invites because of the cost, and she’ll also have to miss her sister’s 50th birthday party.
“It’s really upsetting,” she said. “There’s nothing left in the pot by the end of the month for me to enjoy myself at all.”
Even simple pleasures like visiting a coffee shop once a week are too expensive now.
How much Rucksana’s bills come to per month
HERE is a full breakdown of Rucksana’s costs…
Monthly income: £2,800
Monthly outgoings: £2,509 in total
Mortgage: £1,200
Council tax: £99
Energy bills: £150
Water bill: £30
Broadband: £30
Phone contracts: £50
Food shop: £400
Transport: £300
Financial support for her son: £250 – £300
What she has leftover: £291
My bills have TRIPLED and I’m struggling
Rucksana says the thing that has been taking the most toll on her is her increasing bills.
The mortgage payments on her two-bed house are a huge £1,200 a month.
She had originally been paying £1,800 but she had to remortgage last year, bringing her bill down slightly but any savings were immediately swallowed up by other bills rising.
Her council tax bill has also jumped from just £30 a month in April to £99.
Plus, her energy bills have increased from £50 a month to £150 after her supplier realised it was undercharging her.
That’s despite Rucksana only putting her heating on twice so far this winter.
She says her home is not very well insulated so it’s “bitterly cold” and she can often feel a draught.
In total, her bills have increased by hundreds of pounds this year.
She’s also paying £30 per month for her water bill, another £30 for her broadband, and £50 for phone contracts for her and her son.
“The biggest struggle for me is with my energy bills and council tax,” Rucksana says.
“Without those, I think my finances would have been in a more stable position.”
We can’t have a normal Christmas this year
Rucksana says Christmas is “out of the equation” this year as she can’t afford to celebrate properly.
“I haven’t bought any presents at all,” she says. “I don’t have the extra money to buy anything, whether it’s small or big.”
Nearly two-thirds (64%) of UK households are having to cut back on their Christmas spending this year due to rising household bills, research by Compare the Market has found.
Of these, 74% said they were cutting back on their present spending.
Rucksana also says she’ll have to spend most of the festive season indoors in her own house as she’s had to turn down invites to dinners and parties.
“We normally do a Christmas dinner every year at my parents’ house but I don’t think we’ll be doing that this year,” she says.
“I might do something simple and straightforward, but there won’t be any turkey or roast dinner.”
Rucksana says it’s “upsetting”, as all she wants is to be able to celebrate Christmas like everyone else.
What to do if you’re struggling with bills
MORE than 14million people will struggle to afford Christmas this year, according to debt charity StepChange.
If you’re among those struggling, it’s worth considering how you can get support.
Approach your local council
The Household Support Fund (HSF) is a £742million scheme that allows councils to help residents struggling with living costs.
Every local authority is different, but some will give supermarket vouchers or help with energy bills, while others hand out cash.
London’s Islington Council, for example, can put £200 straight into the bank accounts of eligible residents.
The money tends to be reserved for low-income families but you may be able to get help even if you are working and claim certain benefits such as Universal Credit.
See if you can get a cash grant
Many charities offer cash grants to certain workers.
For example, GroceryAid supports
workers at supermarkets, convenience stores, wholesalers, manufacturers and independent grocers.
It can provide assistance with essential bills, rent arrears, council tax and crisis grants.
Anyone working in hospitality, such as pubs, hotels and restaurants, or who previously worked in the industry for more than seven years, may be eligible for help from Hospitality Action.
This can help cover household bills and other costs like moving house.
Other industries are eligible for cash grants too – use the online tool from Turn2Us to see what you could get at grants-search.turn2us.org.uk.
Get help from your energy supplier
Many energy suppliers have schemes to help poorer households.
For example, British Gas has a £140million pot to support families.
You could get up to £2,000 – and you don’t even need to be a British Gas user to apply.
To qualify, you must be in arrears with your bills and have a household income of less than £20,328.
If you are on a prepayment meter, The Fuel Bank Foundation can provide vouchers worth an average 10 days’ energy.
You need a referral from a council or a charity such as a food bank.
Local authorities may also issue fuel vouchers to add to prepayment cards or prepayment meter keys.
Use a food bank
Food banks can offer emergency parcels and fuel vouchers.
To get one, you usually need a referral voucher from Citizens Advice, your GP or social worker.
Food banks have different eligibility criteria but parcels usually contain enough food for three days and may also include toiletries, such as toothpaste and deodorant.
Use the Trussell website or the Independent Food Aid Network map to find a food bank and see their Christmas opening times.
