A single mum-of-four has been relying on cups of tea and coffee to fill her up as the cost of living crisis has forced her to skip meals and live off her children's leftovers. As energy bills continue to soar, Victoria Walker says she won't be able to afford Christmas this year and barely turns the heating on.
The mum, from Bath, told ITV News : “Unless I really have to, I’ll eat. But I fill myself up with tea and coffee in the daytime. I would like the children to eat, and if they leave any leftovers, I tend to have the leftovers.
Noticing the struggle, Victoria's 11-year-old daughter has even offered to buy essential food such as break and milk with her own pocked money. "It just makes me sad," Victoria said. "It breaks my heart. Christmas is looking sad for me. I can't afford Christmas."
The Mirror reports that Action for Children, a charity supporting vulnerable families across the UK, has been helping the family. The Only Way is Essex star and former TV personality Lydia Bright, who campaigns for the charity, said child poverty in the UK was heartbreaking.
She told ITV : "It's important for us to open our eyes to the problems that are happening on our doorstep.
"Sometimes when we think of poverty we don't always think it's happening in the UK but child poverty is so prominent now more than ever and it's heartbreaking that it's happening in a country like ours."
To help feed her family, Victoria has been visiting her local community pantry to buy affordable groceries. Volunteers at the centre said they the level of poverty they are seeing is worrying.
One said: "People are really living hand to mouth at the moment, for many of our families.
"It's not just those on benefits anymore, it's families in work. We've got one mum that holds down three jobs and she's still worried about feeding her children."
A recent Action for Children survey found that 98% of parents were worried about money whilst 22% of working parents fear they won't be able to buy their loved ones any Christmas presents this year.
It also found that 21% of children in the Southwest will offer their gifts or pocket money to help cover the cost of the festive season.
Helen Stockwell, who works for the charity says she's never seen anything like it.
She said: "I have families who can't get coats for the children and can't afford to keep their children warm. People are genuinely worried really worried about what's coming."
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