Chloe Chin-Saad’s husband passed away four years ago and her biggest worry is the cost of living.
She’s very grateful that the rent she pays on her south London maisonette is set below the market rate as it is housing association accommodation, but says life was easier when she shared the bills. “Two incomes make a massive difference.”
She lives with her 16-year-old son, and says her energy bill has risen sharply over the past year and she now pays about £200 a month on gas and electricity.
“We try to be more aware, we think more about how long we run the hot water when we do the dishes.”
Chloe, 40, and her son have cut back on luxuries like going to M&S and the cinema, and she now tries to limit the weekly food shop to £40.
But she can’t do anything to reduce her £200 council tax bill, the £250 a month she pays on car finance, or the amount she spends on medicines for her various health conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis.
Two mobile phone bills, and food and pet insurance for her dog also add to her costs. She says the amount she has left over at the end of each month varies, and sometimes she is left with as little as £50.
Chloe wants to see more help for single-parent families.
“I don’t access benefits but I work full-time and it’s hard. Can the government do anything else to help? Something on our tax bill perhaps.”