Charities in Belfast and Lisburn have appealed for more help for those struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
A payment to help those struggling to meet the high costs of everyday living has been offered by the UK Treasury, which could see some people receive £650 over two payments.
The Department for Communities has said "further information, including payment dates, will be published on the NI Direct website when available.”
Read more: Cost of Living payment details announced by Department for Communities
The first payments are due to start arriving into the accounts of those eligible in July, with another payment due at an unspecified date in autumn.
The cost-of-living crisis has forced many people into what has been called the "heating or eating" dilemma.
Lynsey Agnew, CEO at Lisburn City Church (LCC) Community Trust has seen the impact first-hand.
The Trust runs a foodbank under the Trussell Trust banner as well as a social supermarket and helps those struggling with other forms of advice and support.
"We've just seen a huge increase in demand for our services," Lynsey told Belfast Live.
"There are a lot of people coming who have never used our services before are not known within the charity sector in our area here in Lisburn.
"We're starting to hear of so many people trying to even get an extra day out of their clothing before washing them.
"They're definitely not using the tumble drier anymore, but then they're not turning their heating on either unless they absolutely have to.
"The cost of electric, your heating, food, cleaning materials, rent and fuel - there's just not enough for it to go around and that's for people who are working, never mind the people we're helping who are receiving benefits."
Lynsey said there were a lot of people who were falling between the cracks for support, because their situation didn't meet criteria that is often very black and white.
"We have a lot of people who are heading towards 60, so they're still a bit of a way off retirement but they maybe had to come out of work in the last few years due to ill health," she said.
"So they're not really able to go out and work but they're not 'sick enough' to be entitled to some of the disability benefits that are available.
"Realistically they're living on £77 a week and that's to get them their heat, electric, their food and maybe a phone so they can stay connected with the outside world.
"Even transport to come into the foodbank, we've a lot of people who have to walk and bring a rucksack with them, so that they can carry the food they get from the foodbank home with them again.
"We're very fortunate that we have some volunteers who can do deliveries sometimes, but we're reliant on volunteers for that, so it's really on a case by case basis."
For those trying to provide for a family, the pressure is building as well, with Sheena McMullen from charity Action for Children NI saying that they were dealing with an influx in applications for help.
"Certainly what our staff are seeing is that far too many families with children are not coping well," she said.
" Many are hugely stressed by the ongoing and unpredictable pressures they are facing.
"Often there is a lack of clarity about what financial support is available and what the current political situation means in terms of getting access to that support."
Sheena said the measure from the UK Treasury was welcome but that it didn't address some of the wider problems for those feeling the worst of the crisis.
"This kind of payment could help towards temporarily relieving some pressures facing families but it’s not a long-term solution," she said.
"We think we need our leaders to positively engage on the work and recommendations that were developing in relation to the Anti-Poverty Strategy that look at local ways we can better protect families from financial crisis in the first place."
Action for Children NI are calling for a long-term Child Payment as a solution to the ongoing struggles the worst-off children in NI face.
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