Bank of mum, dad and sister: family members turn to one another in crisis

Some people feel reluctant to borrow from relatives, but have found they have little choice. Photograph: Tetra Images, LLC/Alamy

Madeleine Knight* is dreading the winter. Not for herself, but for her 57-year-old brother, who lives with Parkinson’s disease and dementia in a house with a prepayment meter for their energy. Last year, he and his wife were afraid to put on the heating for more than an hour at a time.

“They spent the winter huddled in dressing gowns. How are they possibly expected to cope with the cost of living this year?” says Knight.