A single dad-of-three says he is eating the leftovers of what he makes his children for dinner in order to survive as the cost-of-living crisis continues to eat into Scots families' finances.
Dean Ramsay says he often goes to bed "absolutely drained" because he doesn't know how he'll survive the next day after his food, energy and fuel bills nearly doubled in recent months. The dad, from Denny, Falkirk, told STV News' Scotland Tonight programme he was dreading his next gas bill after turning on the heating to keep his kids cosy.
He said: "I miss sitting down with the kids and cooking a meal for everyone rather than just for them, because they are always asking me why I’m not eating. I’ll be eating the excess of what I’ve made them – a few chips and a few chicken nuggets in a wee bowl.
"I’ll then go to bed because I’ve got nothing else to do. I’ve gone to bed hungry or cold or absolutely drained because I don’t know how we’re going to cope the next day. I can only imagine that’s what other families do as well.”
He added: "Next month is going to be shocking when I get my bill for my gas because I’ve had to have it on. I would rather just be cold myself, but because I’ve got the kids it’s a necessity."
Dean added that he had grown used to feeding himself on scraps, but added that even that was becoming harder amid ever-rising prices. Inflation remains at a near-40-year high of 10.7 per cent, prompting a recent interest rate hike to 3.5 per cent, the highest level in 14 years.
The evening programme also spoke to foodbank managers, Scottish businesses and a man with long-term care needs who relies on a number of electrical appliances to improve his quality of life. One foodbank told STV that around 40 per cent of the households it supplies have children.
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The Record has previously told of how Scots are struggling to get by amid spiralling household bills. Last month, we shared the story of NHS mental health nurse Jennifer Fox, who takes on extra shifts in order to be able to afford the fuel she needs to get to work.
Jennifer, 32, has a 14-year-old daughter and two boys aged five and two. Her two sons are looked after by her mum, her partner's dad and other family members while she works – as she can't afford to send them to a breakfast club and nursery.
She previously said: “I’ve had to come out of my pension just to be able to live. Not paying my pension and taking extra shifts means I can just about make it from pay cheque to pay cheque.
"I got paid yesterday but have had £3 to live on for the past four days. I am a degree-educated professional but I’m genuinely considering if it is worth all the responsibility and the mental stress to continue to be a nurse.”
Meanwhile, councils across Scotland have been opening the doors to public spaces to give locals somewhere warm to go if they cannot afford their heating bills. And workers across a variety of sectors - from nursing to teaching - are participating in further strikes this month as they call for their pay to reflect spiralling inflation.
UK Government support for home energy bills comes to an end this spring, when the price cap will also see average annual fuel bills rise to around £3,000. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon put the cost of living crisis at the core of her New Year's message, vowing on behalf of the Scottish Government to do "everything it can" to support vulnerable families.
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