Clutching her beloved game console, Debbie Madden makes her way to a local pawnbrokers. She knows she won’t get much for it. But if it’s enough to buy her children at least one present each this Christmas, the sacrifice is worth it.
It’s a struggle so many parents can relate to as the festive season gets underway. While some may be looking forward to December 25, it’s a day Debbie has been dreading all year.
“It’s really bad,” the 41-year-old says as she shivers on a bench in Rochdale town centre, gripping a hot drink in an attempt to warm her hands. “We’re struggling.
“We have to go to the foodbanks. We’ve used them before, but now we have to do it more than ever before. We get two bags twice a month. It’s embarrassing.”
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As UK energy prices soar to record highs, mum-of-three Debbie has found herself spiralling into debt. She receives Universal Credit but it’s nowhere near enough to pay her utility bills, which now stand at £200 a month.
“It makes me feel horrible,” she added. “It needs to be paid and we can’t do it. I suffer from depression and I have social anxiety. It’s making it worse.
“We only have the heating on for twenty minutes to get warm and that’s it. I’ve got presents [for the children] but it’s a minimal amount. I’ve had to pawn stuff to pay for them, like my game console and sound bar. It’s a time I’ve been dreading.”
It’s mid-morning and Paula Shackleton has just finished her shift. She hasn’t eaten or slept yet.
The 44-year-old, from Rochdale, is a support worker for children in care. She’s found herself needing to pick up extra shifts as the cost of living continues to rise – often working 24 hours a day.
“It’s extremely difficult,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “I live alone so I’m the only one that brings in an income. I work full time but I’m picking up an extreme amount of hours to survive. My overtime is what I use to live.
“My rent has gone up £100 a month. I pay extra for my council tax and car insurance – I need my car for work. I’ve literally opted for car insurance so it tracks me and monitors my miles so it’s cheaper.
“I must be paying at least an extra £300 a month. I get no benefit help. I don’t know how much more I can cut back. I only plug in the radiator in one room just to take the chill out.
“It’s impacted my mental health; I’m fearful going into next year. I already have the energy companies telling me my prices are going to change.”
While Paula would love to buy presents for every relative, her family have opted to do Secret Santa this year to keep costs down. “Then at least everyone gets one present to open,” she added.
Sadly, Paula suffered a flood in her flat earlier this year, meaning her belongings – including her Christmas decorations – were ruined.
She took to Facebook Marketplace at the beginning of the month in a bid to replace some of the decor. Thankfully, she was gifted many of the items for free. She says the decorations are the only thing bringing her joy during this difficult time.
“I was gifted a tree,” she says. “Just so there’s something I can put up in my home. Just so there’s something there when I wake up.”
One woman, who did not wish to give her name, is out helping her elderly father with his shopping. The 49-year-old says she spends most of her days sitting at home, alone, unable face the “depressing” world outside.
“I don’t look forward to the future,” she says. “I live day by day. I have never, ever been this broke in my life – I've been a single parent with three kids and even then, I wasn’t as broke as I am now.
“If I spend the day at my dads, I get the bus there and it’s warm and he has food. When I’m at home, to be honest, I get up and I just sit there. I don’t do anything all day. I don’t have the incentive to get up, it’s too depressing.”
The mum, from Oldham, eats one meal a day and can only afford yellow-stickered reduced items. “It’s either heat the home or cook the tea,” she says. “It makes me feel like cr*p.
“I’ve had the heating on once; we sit with quilts and coats on as you do. I have depression and it doesn’t help.”
Groundworker Stuart Frain lives on his own. While the 38-year-old wants to be out enjoying himself with friends, he now has to prioritise the necessities.
“It’s tough,” he told the M.E.N. “Food wise especially – you're scrimping. I live on my own so it’s not the easiest of things. I’m still a young lad and I want to go out and enjoy myself.”
Dawn Fairclough, 65, says the cost of living crisis has made her feel “neglected”. She plans on going to Asda at 6pm on Christmas Eve this year so she can buy her Christmas food from the reduced section – the only way she can afford to host a dinner.
“It makes you feel a bit depressed,” she says. “You feel hard done to. You’ve worked all your life just to be treated like this. I’ve worked since I was 15, I’ve just retired from being a landlady on ill health.
“I have to stop around for the best prices. I go to the bottom shelves. I’ve bought presents for my grandchildren this year, but one of them is 18 so I said after this year, that’s it. I used to put £20 in their cards but I can only put £10 in now.
Margaret, who did not wish to share her last name, told the M.E.N she owes hundreds of pounds to her energy supplier. The 63-year-old says the burden is “constantly” on her mind.
“I just have dinner at night,” she says. “It’s not good, but it’s the only way I can get by. I have lads at home so I keep food in for them.
“I’m still £216 in debt. It makes me feel really sick. Between the government and the gas company, it’s them that drove me into debt in the first place.
“It’s a constant worry for me. You do dread Christmas, but it’s got to be done at the end of the day. I have two grandsons and I have to get them presents whether I like it or not. You can’t turn around to a seven-year-old and a four-year-old and tell them Father Christmas isn’t coming.”
Richard Bobkiewicz, 69, takes a break on a bench. He’s insulated his home with bubble wrap and aluminium foil as the cold snap continues to grip Greater Manchester.
“It’s difficult,” he says. “Every time I go to the supermarket, my total could come to £25 and now it’s £35. With bills, the handouts have made things a little easier, but I’m still expecting the price hikes that are coming in. I still expect a shock down the line.
“If the cold gets too bad, I get under the sheets and curl up to stay warm. But [the cost-of-living crisis] is a constant niggle – there's always something in the back of your mind saying, ‘Watch out’.”
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