More than half of Brits won’t be able to afford to pay their bills within a matter of months - with more than five million already forced to choose between heating and eating, research has revealed
An exclusive survey for the Daily Mirror has exposed the everyday impact of the cost of living crisis, from families ditching non-essentials and cancelling holidays, to missing rent payments and parents skipping meals so their children can eat.
Worries about soaring bills has impacted the mental health of more than half those questioned - one in five significantly so.
It is the first major poll published since energy prices rocketed and the Government’s national insurance rise kicked in early April.
Labour seized on the findings to slam millionaire Chancellor Rishi Sunak ’s lack of action to properly help those now battling to make ends meet.
Leader Keir Starmer told the Mirror: “Working people are being hammered, and the worst is about to hit.
“The Mirror’s poll shows just how bad things are already."
Here we meet some of the people affected...
'I've turned heating off to save money'
Single mum Nicola Frate has seen her energy bills rocket by the equivalent of £1,000 a year in the space of just a few months.
In February, her supplier upped her monthly direct debit from £69.50 to £112.50.
But, after this month’s rise in the energy price cap, it is due to shoot up again to £150.50.
Nicola, 38, from Ashford, Kent, said: “I’ve turned my heating off to save money, but there isn’t a lot more I can do.”
The GMB Union rep, a care home head housekeeper, said while energy has soared, her wages had only risen by 3.2%.
“I have cancelled my Sky,” she said.
“I was due to upgrade my mobile phone at the end of the month but will switch to a SIM only for about £20 a month that will save me £40 a month.”
To make matters worse, her daughter’s school bus bill is due to leap by £80 a year from August.
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Direct debit quadrupled
IT worker Corinne Bailey was stunned when her supplier said it would be nearly quadrupling her direct debit to £922 a month.
The 58-year-old, from Bewdley, Worcestershire, had been with the supplier Green until it went bust last September.
She was transferred to Shell Energy, owned by the oil giant.
After being around £600 in credit, and having given Shell Energy meter readings, she suddenly got an email saying her account was more than £1,400 in debit - in the red.
Since then, Ms Bailey said emails from Shell claimed the debit figure had soared to £2,700.
After being contacted by the Mirror, Shell Energy acknowledged there had been an error with Mr Bailey’s meter.
Her monthly direct debit has been set at £237 a month and, instead of being in debt, her account is more than £750 in credit.
“I am pretty savvy, I’m not easily panicked,” said single Ms Bailey.
“But for someone else, suddenly getting a bill saying your direct debit will be £922 a month would be a big shock.”
Van life
One couple have responded to the cost of living crisis and halved their living costs by upping sticks and moving into a van.
Heidi Elliot, 22, and Julian Nevin, 31, spend £625 each per month, totalling £1250, and say that they would be spending at least £1,000 more per month to rent a two-bed in Surrey.
They say they earn £26,000 over a wedding season, which they then use to fund travel in the winter months.
Heidi, from Guildford, and Julian, from Epsom, moved into the 2018 Mercedes Sprinter in May 2021.
They bought the vehicle for £25,000 and spent a further £8,000 refurbishing it.
The couple met in 2019 when they were both working for an international school photography company and had both been assigned to the same project in Singapore.
Lockdown struck shortly after they had both returned from Asia and they found themselves living in the UK with Heidi’s family.
They both knew that vanlife was something they had always wanted to do in the future and lockdown provided the perfect opportunity.
