Rodney Winchester, a 65-year-old former builder from Colchester, says the £100 one-off payment announced in the Labour Party Budget will not help him escape his debts. Mr Winchester, who relies on food parcels and Universal Credit to raise his four-year-old grandson, said the payment won't make "any difference" or stop him running into more debt.
Chancellor John Healey delivered the Budget on Wednesday (October 28), which included plans for a £100 one-off payment to around 20 million UK households in Council Tax bands A to D.
Mr Winchester, who was forced to retire early after a workplace injury, said he is already in debt on his gas and electricity bills and relies on food parcels from charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) to get by. While he welcomed the £100 energy payment and the scrapping of gas standing charges, he said the measures would be outweighed by continued rises in living costs.
'Give a little and take a lot'
"£100 is great, thank you very much, but it's not going to make any difference. I'm still going to be running into more debt. How is this possibly going to help? It's give a little and take a lot," Mr Winchester said. "People aren't in debt because they're overspending. Everything is just too expensive."
The former builder said he is living on a fixed income after a workplace injury ended his career in the building trade 10 years ago. He previously owned his own business and home, but said his circumstances changed dramatically after being forced out of work. He now relies on Universal Credit to get by.
"I haven't sat back on my bum. I've worked all my life. I had my own business, I owned my own home and I lost everything after the injury. It's not that I don't want to work. I can't," he said.
'It's gone way out of control'
Mr Winchester, who suffers from a lung disease and uses oxygen overnight, said keeping his home warm is essential for his health. He is also responsible for his four-year-old grandson, who lives with him.
"I've got lung disease. If I catch a cold, I need to put the heating on. I've also got my grandson here. I can't just switch the heating off and hope for the best. He's having to put a coat on to play and that's now, before winter's even started," he said.
Mr Winchester said he is increasingly worried about paying for food as well as energy. "We've got a food problem. We're having to use food banks. There's no food money left. I can't afford petrol. It's just gone way out of control. When you're already in poverty and buying yellow-label food and you're still running into debt, how do you manage?"
He fears Christmas will be particularly difficult, adding: "Forget Christmas presents. It's just going to be about keeping warm and fed. I'm in pieces about it. There doesn't seem to be an answer. I've paid taxes all my life and now I'm having to ask for food parcels."
Experts target 'missed opportunities'
Mr Winchester said he feels politicians do not understand the reality facing low-income households. "We're already below the poverty line. We need help. They keep taking and taking. Give us some hope. Give us some sort of chance. We're not asking for luxuries. We're trying to keep the heating on and put food on the table," he said.
CAP, which provides emergency food packages for families like Mr Winchester's, said it is equally concerned ahead of the January fuel price increase. Stuart McCulloch, CEO at CAP, said: "Despite efforts to provide a variety of support, it won't be enough to protect households on the lowest incomes from the worrying energy price rise in January. People are still facing incomes that don't cover the costs of essentials. There were missed opportunities for targeted support for those struggling the most."
CAP said many of the people it supports are already forced to choose between heating and eating, with rising household bills continuing to place pressure on families across the UK.
