A mum left in debt due to a faulty gas meter considered taking her own life to protect her children.
It is one of the harrowing stories heard by Linda Stockley who helps families facing the grim reality of the cost of living crisis.
Linda, who is the debt centre manager for Christians Against Poverty, has spoken to families facing escalating debt and unable to afford essentials such as food and heating.
READ MORE: Blyth Tory MP won't be supporting bill to give free school meals to all primary children
Linda said: "People have gone with out heat, people have gone without food, people who are considering suicide because they feel it is their only way out and their children will be better looked after in care.
"There was a lady a few weeks ago who had actively considered taking her own life to protect her children and it boiled down to a faulty gas meter.
"The gas company wouldn't listen to her and she needed someone else to represent what her needs were.
"We got in touch with the gas company and spoke to them and they said they would send someone out, and her meter wasn't working properly. She ended up with a zero bill and just gave her the incentive to carry on living."
Christians Against Poverty offers a free debt counselling service to individuals and families by offering advice, financial education, budgeting and insolvency services.
Linda can be found at the Byker Pantry every Tuesday offering advice to people who drop in to use the service.
"My area covers part of this area at the minute. I came to start doing a drop in on a Tuesday so people can have a chat about how they are doing and what they need.
"By doing that we have picked up lots of people who have needed a lot of support. We come alongside and walk with them, we don't ever take over.
"But we help them sort out debt so they come up with a budget plan and all their options to get out of debt.
"It is to individual needs. So most of our visits are in people's homes face to face but more and more people are accessing projects like this and they will signpost and say Linda is on Tuesday, would you like to see her and they will say yes."
Linda said people can come for advice about all sorts of things and they will always try to help.
She said: "People know they can come here and ask for help. It could be the council about travel passes, the gas board, it just gives them encouragement and help for them to say they have a problem.
"Some people come quite a few times before they feel they have the courage to speak up and there is an office to speak up.
"When they hear someone else they quite often say 'Oh, I'm going through that' it is mental health support, it is a needed support, but it is the whole package at Byker Pantry.
"The food I suppose is the draw, but people really become friends of Byker Pantry rather than customers."
READ MORE:
Inside the Byker Pantry: The project helping families in their time of need
Newcastle mums forced to skip meals to feed kids and pay 'unaffordable' energy bills
British Gas, Scottish Power, SSE and Ovo named and shamed as energy vouchers fail to to arrive
Energy crisis: Can your energy company move you to a prepay meter to clear debt?
