Lived Experiences

I became homeless at 27 after my relationship broke down. For months, I stayed on friends’ sofas, trying to keep my job as a care assistant. But when my shifts became inconsistent, I couldn’t pay for travel or food. Eventually, the friends I stayed with said they couldn’t keep helping. I spent two weeks sleeping […]

My husband and I were evicted when our landlord sold the property. We have two children under ten. The council offered us temporary accommodation in another borough—one cramped room with no cooking facilities. My kids do their homework on the floor because there’s no table. We’ve been here for eight months now, waiting for something […]

As a Black British woman with a degree in marketing, I didn’t expect finding a job to be this hard. I’ve lost count of how many interviews I’ve attended where I felt dismissed before I even spoke. One recruiter even asked if I’d be “comfortable working in a corporate environment.” I’ve had my name shortened […]

I wear a hijab, and I’ve faced subtle and overt discrimination almost daily. On public transport, people sometimes move away from me. In one job, my manager said customers might find my hijab “intimidating.” I was told to consider removing it for “professional reasons.” When I refused, my hours were quietly reduced. Reporting it led […]

I work full-time in a supermarket, but after paying rent and bills, I’m left with barely enough to cover food. I’ve started skipping meals so my two teenagers can eat properly. We rely on food banks once or twice a month, which is humiliating but necessary. The idea that work guarantees stability is a lie […]

I worked all my life in cleaning and catering, but my pension barely covers the essentials. I never thought I’d be struggling at 70. Heating is a luxury now—I wear three jumpers instead. Sometimes I skip lunch to make the money last. The rising cost of food and gas has hit pensioners hard. I feel […]

As a single mum of one, the cost-of-living crisis has pushed me to breaking point. My electricity bill doubled in a year. I turn off the heating most days, even in winter, because I can’t afford it. My daughter wears extra blankets at night. I’ve started batch-cooking cheap meals and shopping late at night for […]

I’m a university student living in London, juggling studies and two part-time jobs. Rent eats up most of my student loan, and the rest goes on travel and food. There’s nothing left for books or social life. I often skip meals or rely on cheap instant noodles. Inflation has made everything worse. My mental health […]

When I lost my job, I applied for Universal Credit. I thought it would be a lifeline, but instead, it became a nightmare. The five-week wait nearly broke me. My rent fell into arrears, and I had to borrow money from friends to eat. The online system is confusing, and getting through to someone on […]

I have a long-term illness that limits my ability to work. When I applied for Universal Credit, I was told to attend a “work capability assessment.” The assessor barely looked at me, and a week later, I was told I was “fit for work.” It felt like my condition was being dismissed. I appealed, but […]