A Beeston resident worries how she will make it through the rest of summer due to the rising cost of living.
52-year-old Nadia was laid off from her job following brutal company cuts and injuring herself at work. She has gone from earning a decent wage to being left with just £300 a month after rent to pay for her "expensive" bills and food.
The struggling woman, who has been working since her teenage days, says she is left with no spare money to spend on transport, toiletries, and cannot enjoy a social life. Nadia moved over from Lithuania, back in 2014, to live in Leeds at the age of 44.
Passionate about sport, Nadia worked as a sports coach in Lithuania and also trained as a masseuse. When she moved to Leeds she "worked really hard" in a massage parlour before working in factories and warehouses for a while in manual labour jobs.
"I've always been hard working", she told Leeds Live, explaining how passionate she has been in every job she has had. On Tuesday (July 21) Nadia went into Job Centre Plus in Park Place, Leeds city centre.
The Lithuanian was let go by her boss earlier this year when the company were making a number of cuts. Nadia explained that while she was working at her company's factory one morning she "seriously" injured her foot.
"My injury is very serious I worked at a big organisation and all they care about was money, money, money, and they let people go. I injured myself and I was let go," she said.
As she spoke to Leeds Live she showed how she is unable to walk properly following the injury and it has left the lower part of her leg covered in bruises, and her veins visibly "throb".
The once happy employment woman was left with no job, a broken foot, had a "serious" surgery, and having to claim benefits.
Nadia explained that she has only done a course in English and struggles to communicate in job environments because of the language barrier. Because of this, on top of her injury, she is finding it difficult to land a new job.
She said: "I am happy that I am on benefits now. But I worked really hard. I used to earn £1,500 a month and I worked hard. Now I only have £600 to live off every month and for me this is not a lot , because with £300 I pay for my rent.
"I'm left with £300 for the other expensive bills I have to pay for and food etc. Before I was able to buy not only food, but I was able to get things for myself and live more comfortably.
"I should be able to get things for myself. I should be able to get shampoo, shower gel, toilet tissue, and all these things they cost because the prices go up.
"I am trying to loose a bit of weight - I look like a balloon at the moment - but all the cheap foods are bad for me but that's all I can afford."
Nadia explained that she used to get funds from Leeds City Council to help her pay for her bus fairs to and from job interviews, work courses, and doctors appointments.
"Before the Job Centre helped pay for my buses but now they do not so I cannot work properly, with my problems from injury and because I am from Lithuania I need to improve my English so I can get a job.
"Now I am doing courses to get me on track. I am doing a course which helps you get rid of stress, prepares you for a new job.
"Leeds City Council promised me they would pay for my bus fair, but then they told me that they couldn't any more. I don't know why they changed their mind.
"After that I got a work coach here at the Job Centre and I asked lots of times, and lots of times, about why this had changed and if me having free bus tickets was on the system. The worker said it was not on the system.
"But I was told they should pay for the bus ticket." Things began to look up for Nadia on Tuesday (July 21) when she was able to speak in Lithuanian at the Park Place centre.
"Today I got to speak to someone who was from my native language. I asked him if he could solve this problem she said yes no problem.
"Next Monday I will be able to get the bus ticket. So now that should help me as food is very expensive."
Nadia said her goal now is to get the mobility back in her foot so she is able to return to working. She said "I also have the right for the Job Centre to pay for me to go to the gym because it shows I am committed. Maybe £20 to help me out to pay for that.
"This shows them that I am ready to work. But I do need to do some work to help my foot get back so I can stand up and do work.
"If the Job Centre can see that I am putting the work into the gym so I can work in a factory again it will open more doors for me. But to do all these things I need help to pay for them."
Nadia added: "I am and have always been a hard worker. But I need help getting to where I want to be.
"I don't know how I will get through the summer. Hopefully things will look up for me."
Read next:
Panic as Leeds man going for Barcelona holiday discovers he's on wrong Ryanair plane
Teenager, 17, died after crashing into car as heartbroken family pay tribute
Concerns grow for Leeds boy, 15, missing for over a week as police launch urgent search
Two lads in Leeds pub beer garden go viral after CCTV captures them falling backwards off bench
