Cost of living charities warn of rising bills

BBC

Charities in Shropshire are urgently calling for benefit reforms, warning that working families could face a "dreadful" winter as food and energy bills continue to surge.

Over the past week, the BBC has visited the county to speak with organisations working to reduce rural poverty and deprivation.

Their message is clear: the cost of living crisis is deepening, and many families are struggling to stay afloat.

Shropshire Council said it offered a range of support to help residents cope with rising bills and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Recent data from Shropshire Council revealed that nearly 25,000 homes are living in fuel poverty.

Meanwhile, figures from End Child Poverty show that approximately one in three children in the county are living below the breadline.

Leanne Simcoe, from charity Little Stars, said demand for help has skyrocketed, and family referrals increased by 176 per cent between 2023 and 2024.

The charity, which operates in Oswestry and Shrewsbury, provides free essentials for parents and is looking to expand to meet growing demand.

"Food prices have gone up astronomically for families, and everyone is feeling the pinch," she said.

"Among the working families we support, we've had business owners come in [too].

"The price rises have impacted their companies, so their businesses are struggling - and that of course affects their family life."

Little Stars, part of the Baby Bank Alliance, is awaiting the autumn budget in November, hoping for benefit reforms, including a review of the two-child limit for universal credit.

Last week, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the policy was "on the table."

Andy Stelman, coordinator of the Bishops Castle foodbank, supports scrapping the two-child benefit cap.

"Food is a political issue, heating is a political issue - the two-child benefit cap is a political issue," he said.

"The problem of poverty does not know seasons. It goes on and on and on.

"The big statutory organisations are a bit like huge great liners - if they want to change direction, it takes an awful long time. It doesn't take us a lot of time."

Carol Wall, who began using the foodbank after the death of her husband Peter, said her pension no longer covered basic living costs.

"Since Peter's gone, I've only got the one pension. It's only a small one, and I still have the same bills to pay, same electric, same water rates," she said.

"Something's got to be done because we dread the winter with the fuel rises going up again."

Food prices have risen for five consecutive months, and the energy price cap will increase again on 1 October.

Many charities expect to take on more frontline responsibilities as Shropshire Council grapples with its own financial crisis.

The council is taking urgent action to avoid bankruptcy by next April, aiming to make savings to prevent going over budget by £35.2m this financial year.

"It will really put an impact on local resources, the charity sector will be doing all it can to help," said Ms Simcoe.

"Communities are very good at supporting themselves, but people really shouldn't be afraid to ask for help," said councillor Ruth Houghton, portfolio holder for social care, at Shropshire Council.

"People can go online at Shropshire Council for more formal means of support and financial assistance.

"There are some ringfenced funds around the cost of living and the Household Support Fund - they are available, and sometimes it's as simple as people asking for help to access the benefits they're entitled to."