Thanks to Jeremy Hunt, council tax is going to rise by up to 5% and I am already in arrears. I don’t think I can cope with austerity again. It was so hard the last time: I lost my job, I struggled and I ended up on benefits. Council tax was the first thing I got into debt with, because it’s not a priority when you’ve got food to buy, a flat to look after. I can’t afford to pay it. With everything that’s going on, I’m like: “Council tax will have to wait”, “TV licence will have to wait”. I am paying what I can. But I’m not going to pay council tax and then be sitting at home cold, eating bread and soup when I work six days a week.
The government needs to protect working people. We need a set of fresh ideas and fresh eyes. These guys are just peddling the same thing. Rishi Sunak is still mentioning Jeremy Corbyn. Is that all you’ve got? It’s so bad! And why is nothing happening to Kwasi Kwarteng or Liz Truss? How are they allowed to get away with it, make us poorer, and just walk away? They’ve vanished. No consequences. If it was a normal job, she would have been accused of gross misconduct.I wanted to join the protests calling for a general election, but I can’t. I’m two months into my new job, working on a pilot youth project that uses a holistic approach – including CBT – for young offenders. I can’t run the risk of getting arrested and losing my job.
I’m working about 50 hours a week at the moment – with a Saturday job too – and it feels like I’m juggling a thousand plates. I’ve started my Open University degree in youth justice. I’m trying to snatch time here and there to complete my first assignment.
My rent has stayed the same because I’m in social housing, but food prices have gone up again. Pasta, butter, all the staple foods that I use. I bought a bit of pork the other day. It’s the cheapest meat. It was £5.
I have been stockpiling food for some time. Tinned vegetables, soups, tuna, fish, corned beef. If I see something on offer, I buy it. I’ve got quite a lot now: I have to rotate my tins to make sure they’re in date. I do bulk cooking now. On a Saturday or Sunday, I cook three meals, then I put them in takeaway containers. I did soup last week, pasta this week. It’s saving money I can put towards travel or a meal. I feel like I’m contributing to slowing down the economy, but I suppose we are all doing that. I’m trying to appreciate doing the cooking – I’m seeing it as taking time out for self-care.
I’m still talking with my friends on the phone and WhatsApp, and I’m saving for a Christmas meal we have booked and a birthday that’s coming up. Maybe two years ago, I’d have bought a new outfit. I need to be prudent.
I work from home sometimes, and I have put the heating on. I have decided that I’m not going to sit shivering in my house while I’m working. We’ve been given that handout to help with energy costs from the government. I’m topping up extra so my energy account is always in credit.
I’m looking forward to Christmas because it’s going to be a few days’ break. I’m currently filming my play, The Perils of Universal Credit, and turning it into a series of short snippets to share online and with organisations. Hopefully I can chill out and focus on my creative side.
Sharron Spice is in her 30s and lives in London. She tweets at @mSharronSpice
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