Some people in the UK are using washing up liquid because they cannot afford shampoo, or are turning down free laundry liquid as they can't afford to run a washing machine - according to a charity. Charity Freedom4Girls, which tackles period poverty, warned the dire situation will only get worse.
Founder Tina Leslie said it is “absolutely heartbreaking” with demand for basic items such as shampoo and soap soaring. She added: “Nobody has got any money left after paying the rent and bills. It’s horrific.
“When you have no money it is hard to keep up with the hygiene products, so people are resorting to desperate measures. You can buy cheapish washing up liquid for around 50p. It’s really sad, food banks are giving out washing powder and people are not wanting it because they can’t afford the bills. So they are not even washing their clothes.
“If you cannot afford food then you cannot afford period or hygiene products. When we get hygiene products donated, they fly out.
“One mother said to me, ‘How am I going to keep my kids clean and supply my teenagers with period products when I haven’t got enough money?’
“Everyone is going into debt and the next thing is evictions because people can’t pay council taxes.”
Working families have been hit by some prices rising four times faster than average wages. The TUC has highlighted a host of items soaring out of control, reports The Mirror.
They include children’s shoes, which are up 8%, toys 5.2%, and kids’ clothes 4.4%. The price of pushchairs and baby car seats leapt by 16.4% in the past year, four times faster than average wages. Going to the cinema, theatre and concerts is 13.6% times more expensive than a year ago, while eating out in restaurants and cafes will typically knock you back an extra 7.3% in costs.
And the average price of a white sliced loaf of bread has jumped more than 10%, from £1.07 to £1.18. TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “No one should struggle to make ends meet.
“But too many working people have been pushed to the brink after more than a decade of standstill wages.”
If you can help the charity fighting period poverty please visit their website
