A mum who hasn't turned her heating on all winter has blasted Therese Coffey's claim that struggling people "work more hours" as ludicrous".
Vicki Alderman, 57, a self-employed artist, says she hasn't turned her radiators on at all this year because she can't afford the higher bills.
She says she works about 60 hours a week as she says the Environment Secretary is "out of touch".
It comes after Ms Coffey said in the Commons that people who are struggling should "work some more hours".
Vicki branded the comments "ludicrous".
She said: "If you're self-employed like me, we're already working all the hours we can do.
"I don't really switch off, I'm working all the time and there aren't any extra hours to work.
"People have lives and families who rely on them. Working isn't supposed to be 90% of your life.
"Saying people should work more hours is not a solution - it's passing the buck onto us instead of taking responsibility."
Vicki, from Grantham, Lincolnshire, said the comments were "laughably ludicrous".
Vicki said: "If you have a job, quite often your hours are set and you can't do more even if you want to.
"Or self-employed people like me, we're already working all the hours we can do - it's just not within the realms of reality.
"But that's not the point - people shouldn't have to work extra hours just to meet a basic standard of living.
"We're already going above and beyond to make ends meet.
"99% of the population will see that as a ridiculous thing to say."
Vicki feels it should instead fall on the shoulders of the government to help people out when they're struggling to make ends meet.
She said: "Working extra hours is not a solution. Working shouldn't have to be 90% of your life.
"People have families and lives and other people who rely on them to do other things."
Vicki added: "They should stand up and do something, but instead they tell us that.
"They should be taking responsibility and helping the people they're supposed to be helping."
This week in the Commons Labour MP Rachael Maskell said that with food inflation estimated at 16.8% in the year to January, foodbanks in her York constituency are struggling to help hard-hit families.
Ms Maskell told the Commons: "Due to demand, food banks in York are running out, eking out food supplies."
She asked Ms Coffey what the government is doing to "ensure that no one goes without".
The Tory frontbencher responded: "We talk about aspects of food pricing, inflation is really tough at the moment, there's no doubt about that, and I'm conscious though that we still have a situation where generally across Europe we have one of the lowest proportion of our incomes being spent on food; supermarkets have been very competitive.
"But I do want to encourage her to also work in supporting the household support fund, that is intended to go to people, particularly in need.
"But of course we do know that one of the best ways to boost their incomes is not only to get into work if they're not in work already, but potentially to work some more hours, to get upskilled, to get a higher income, but of course the local welfare grant that was given some time ago now by central government to local councils is there for them to use as well."
Ms Maskell was heard responding "that's appalling".
