Unemployed Leeds folk have shared their worry about making it through summer due to the rising cost of living.
The usually happy period where the sun is shining has not been bright and shiny for many Leeds folk who have been subject to the national heatwave and dramatic rise in bills, food, and essentials costs. It comes after many also faced job cuts and set backs throughout the pandemic.
A hike in energy bills, food prices and the cost of fuel are all leaving people out of pocket, with many making drastic changes to their daily lives. Some say they can't afford to turn the heating on, while others have resorted to using home appliances, such as cookers, as sparingly as possible.
Read more: 'Hard working' Leeds woman left jobless due to 'language barrier and injury' fears for future
On Thursday (July 21) a Job Centre in Park Place, Leeds city centre, appeared busy with people trying to get an appointment. Queues were seen trailing outside of the door, and a number of individuals spoke to Leeds Live about their concern for their living situations.
Job Centre was busy on Tuesday afternoon as young men, women, pregnant women, middle-aged men and more were seen. One woman held her head in her hands and said "I just don't know where else to go".
A lot of the people who were spotted going into the Park Place spot were young to middle aged mums. During term time, a large proportion of children in this part of this city rely on free school meals.
But the lifeline - which guarantees the poorest children at least one nutritious hot meal each day - looks set to come to an end, potentially plunging even more households into hardship over the next two months.
Dread for school holidays
Mum-of-two Teresa, 31, said :"It is a struggle for everyone right now, it will be difficult for us to get by but the Job Centre are helping me to try and get on track so we have enough money for food and supplies.
"I want to give the kids a really fun summer but it just isn't possible for our family - we just can't afford it."
A Hunslet mum, who wished to remain unnamed, has a daughter in Year 4 at school. "Yeah it's just s**t isn't it. The cost of living has really affected us.
"Summer this year is going to be a struggle for us - there's three of us me, my partner, and our little girl. It's hard to think of free things to do in the school holidays."
'I can’t even comment on cost of living because it’s affected me so bad'
Another woman, age 39, said: "Two of my kids have just had kids and I’ve just been made homeless. I have so much on my plate I can’t even begin to tell you. I can’t even comment on cost of living because it’s affected me so bad."
"I don't know how people will cope this year in the school holidays", unemployed Yasir said. "I hope things will look up for me. I spoke with a supervisor today and I hope to get a job soon. I can't imagine doing it with kids too."
'It is really hard during these difficult times'
But it isn't just mums who are facing struggles this summer. Anzila and Sabila, who are staying in refugee housing in Leeds are struggling to get a job. The best friends who are both in the same boat hope a job opportunity will come up for them before summer ends.
"We are just seeing what is going to happen. At the moment we have plans in the making at the Job Centre for opportunities but we will just have to see what happens", Anzila said.
Hilda, 56, who lives in Hunslet, says she struggles to get a job because she can not speak English well and has fallen I’ll said she wanted to go into the centre to see what work she could get. "I need a job because I’ve been ill. Things will get better I hope it is really hard during these difficult times."
'I should be able to get things for myself'
52-year-old Nadia was laid off from her job following brutal company cuts and injuring herself at work. She has gone from earning a decent wage to being left with just £300 a month after rent to pay for her "expensive" bills and food.
The struggling woman, who has been working since her teenage days, says she is left with no spare money to spend on transport, toiletries, and cannot enjoy a social life. The once happy employment woman was left with no job, a broken foot, had a "serious" surgery, and having to claim benefits.
Nadia explained that she has only done a course in English and struggles to communicate in job environments because of the language barrier. Because of this, on top of her injury, she is finding it difficult to land a new job.
"I should be able to get things for myself. I should be able to get shampoo, shower gel, toilet tissue, and all these things they cost because the prices go up", she said. Read more here.
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