A family say they are struggling to leave 'a normal life' as the cost of living soars. In a scenario no doubt repeated across the country, Greta Bubneliene said her energy bills had nearly doubled.
As a result, she and her husband have been forced to keep their heating use to a minimum and have been dressing their one-year-old daughter, Lily, in "more and more clothes". Greta said wages and Universal Credit were barely enough to cover bills.
The family, who lives in Seacroft, Leeds, are watching their bills get higher and higher as the cost of living crisis bites. Great works as a manager on a part-time basis at an Italian restaurant, while her husband is a delivery driver.
Speaking to LeedsLive, the 29-year-old said: “We’re struggling to pay what we need to pay at the moment, our rent is really expensive. We’re struggling to live a normal life, I mean like going somewhere on a holiday or even going out somewhere to meet other people.
“All the bills are growing and growing, getting higher and higher. We used to pay like £300 a month and now it’s almost double. We’re just putting the heating on as low as we can, it’s been cold and our windows are not good.
"When it gets windy, our curtains swing around the windows. I’ve been dressing the baby with more and more clothes.”
Greta has also cut down on the amount of meat they’ve been buying. Visiting the Seacroft Jobcentre in North Parkway with baby daughter Lily to discuss her Universal Credit payments, Greta also hit out at the amount of rubbish dumped in front of the centre.
There was a discarded bin bag in the pathway, plus numerous pieces of paper and packaging all over the lawn and grass verge in front of the jobcentre when LeedsLive spoke to her there on Wednesday, May 11.
“It’s been snowing rubbish,” joked one man who was passing. Greta said it was not an uncommon sight in the Leeds suburb.
Greta said: “Just look at that, at the amount of rubbish that’s out there. In my eyes, it does not look proper. It’s the same in our street, where we’re living. Rubbish is everywhere. They don’t seem to care about the future of nature.”
Members of the Jobcentre staff came and cleared up the litter as best they could - but it was a lost battle with so many pieces of litter covering the lawn. Leeds City Council has been asked for a statement concerning the rubbish in front of the job centre.
