A full-time carer has described the harsh reality of Britain's cost of living crisis, saying she cannot afford to heat a pizza for her 12-year-old son. Jo Barker-Marsh, who cares for her son with additional needs, said her gas and electricity bills have doubled and she fears for the future.
Ms Barker-Marsh, who is on universal credit, said she could not justify turning on the oven for a small pizza because of the cost. Her son, who has sensory processing issues, has not attended school for nearly five months. She said the family is struggling with rising energy bills, food costs and high rents.
She described the physical and mental toll of poverty, including sleeping in cold bedrooms and cutting back on fresh food. Ms Barker-Marsh criticised the government for failing to support families like hers, saying politicians dismiss food bank users and those in working poverty.
She urged others to speak out against the stigma of poverty, adding: 'I don't want my son and the millions of other children living like this to ever believe they are not worthy of more.'
