“I can’t even ask my children if I want a loaf,” Val Barlow says as she looks into the distance. “My son asks me if I need anything but I know he’s got family.
He’s working and he’s seeing nowt of it. I’m struggling like everybody else but you’ve got to go on.” Val isn’t the only one finding things tough at the moment.
Her struggles come just as council tax bills are set to rise across Greater Manchester. “It’s disgusting,” the 61-year-old told the Manchester Evening News. “[Bills] have already gone up before your benefits have gone up so you won’t see the difference. READ MORE: The people who will be entitled to full £1,350 in new DWP cost of living payments “It’s like the price of food as well – that's going up.
But they know deep down that if you’re used to something, you’re still going to buy it. “You’ve got to eat and keep yourself warm.
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