Single mum 'terrified' as energy price cap rockets to £3,549 a year

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

As the school summer holidays draw to an end, single mum Bev Arrowsmith had felt a small sense of relief, as her children could return to eating free school meals and wouldn't be spending all day at home.

But after the announcement that the new energy price cap could see households paying an estimated £3,549 per year, Bev described that feeling being replaced with an 'impending sense of doom.' She has already had to put new school uniform for her two children - aged six and 17 - on to a credit card, and now fears many of her next bills will have to be paid the same way. READ MORE:Martin Lewis' worrying energy price forecast in urgent plea to government The 42-year-old from Middleton, who lost her partner six years ago, admits that she'll have to start sacrificing her own health to make sure her children are kept warm and safe this winter.

And as charities warned that the new price cap could push 8.9 million UK households into poverty this October, the impossible decisions being made by Bev will be replicated across the country. "It's really scary," Bev said, speaking of the announcement on Friday.

Her daughter was diagnosed with a disability at young age meaning she had to take several months off work to care for her. "As she’s improved I’ve gone back to work but my wage just doesn’t seem to be cutting it anymore and I am still trying to catch up on all the bills that I fell down on whilst off work," she said. "All of my money at the moment is going on bills.