HOUSEHOLDS across the country are struggling to cope with the cost of living crisis, with one woman saying she can't afford to buy her grandkids an Easter egg.
Energy bills, fuel, food and transport costs have soared, leaving millions of families facing tough decisions between paying for heating or eating.
"We’ve had to cut back on everything. We can’t afford to go out, we can’t afford anything," a 56-year-old woman told Manchester Evening News.
"We have kids having to go to food banks in this day and age. It’s making me feel depressed. I’ve got four grandchildren – I can’t even afford to buy them an Easter egg."
Another woman, Donna Skeffington, from Ordsall, Greater Manchester, says she has been forced to borrow money from her son to pay for her heating.
The 55-year-old said: "My partner is 69 and he doesn’t like being cold – we have to put the heating on. Sometimes we have to borrow off our son, he never asks for it back.
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“My partner has worked all his life and he has to pay for me out of his state pension for bills, for everything. It makes me feel horrible."
She says they try to cut down on their spending by buying the cheapest food but fears the situation could become worse.
"You’ve just got to deal with it. You can’t do anything about it; you can’t starve and you’ve got to have the heating on," she added.
Rising prices have been driven by soaring inflation which has now hit 6.2% – the highest level since 1992.
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Other bills including council tax, water, mobile and broadband will also jump up, leaving families scrabbling to find enough cash to pay their way.
Andrew Blenkhorn, from Swinton, Greater Manchester, says he is struggling to pay for the rising cost of gas and electric.
The 53-year-old said: "The prices of everything are going up. I get PIP allowance but I’m just on the cusp of going into my overdraft and that’s just on basics like food and bills. It does get me down.
“You’re having to shop around to find the cheapest food. I live on my own and can cook so I make enough meals and freeze them to save money. My bills are going up even though I’m in credit.
“I feel sorry for my daughter. She’s a community health visitor and a single mum, but she has childcare costs and everything else."
We explain the latest energy bill help you can get including £200 loan and £150 council tax rebate.
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Meanwhile, here's the full list of benefits rising in April – including Universal Credit and child benefit.
Plus, a money-saving expert has revealed how you can shave £720 off your food bill each year and why you should the FIFO method.
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