A family hit hard by the cost of living crisis say "everything is a luxury."
Ryan Pennington, from St Helens, found himself and his family struggling financially after he took time off work with ongoing health conditions and his hours were reduced from 40 a week to just 14. Ryan, 35, and his partner Joanna Sargent now find themselves struggling to keep their heads above water while caring for their two young children.
The 35-year-old claims he has had to take out loans to put food on the table, creating a vicious cycle of debt. Ryan told the ECHO: "It's just getting harder and harder, we're struggling to heat the place and put food on the table. Never mind luxuries, everything is a luxury."
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He added: "We've had to take out some loans to keep food on the table and keep us all warm, which has put us in a worse position now as we're in a large amount of debt.
"This isn't just impacting our lives. It's impacting the quality of life that we should be able to provide for our kids, and this should not be happening."
The stress and worry has taken a toll on Ryan's mental health, but he said he is doing better now with support from local Citizens Advice. He added: "My partner is off on maternity leave at the minute, so we had no money coming in from anywhere."
Rising energy bills have meant it is becoming more difficult to care for their two children, Daisy, four, and Poppy, seven months. Ryan added: "It feels a bit hopeless at the minute, we are falling behind on bills and they just keep going up. I think what they are asking people to pay to keep their house warm and lights on is horrendous."
Despite his own difficulties, Ryan has urged anyone who is struggling mentally due to bills to reach out to him for support.
He said: "Anyone who is considering ending things because they can't keep up with bills or other things please reach out. Even though I am in the same boat, I will always do my best to help anyone in need."
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