Life on the streets where families choose between heating and food and "don't know what to do"

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The rising cost of living is pushing Greater Manchester families to the brink. Gas and electricity bills are expected to rise by more than 50 per cent from April – plunging millions into fuel poverty unless the Government steps in to help. The huge soar in costs will force many people to choose between heating and eating. The prospect has left low-income families terrified. As the UK’s cost of living crisis intensifies, the M.E.N’s Paige Oldfield spoke to residents in Ashton-under-Lyne and Hyde about their fears for the future. A young mother pushes her pram through an almost deserted Ashton market.

Workmen take a break in the sunshine. A smartly-dressed woman eats her lunch on a bench. Teenagers record themselves singing on a mobile phone, laughing as their voices echo around the empty stalls.

It’s a late January afternoon and the air feels warmer. For many across Greater Manchester, this tiny rise in temperature will come as a huge relief.

Soaring energy costs have meant hundreds are currently unable to heat their homes. The rising cost of living has forced families to choose between basic necessities just to keep their heads above water.