A civil servant earning a salary of £27,000 a year has revealed she is living in a home so cold that friends are refusing to visit, yet she is unable to access crucial government support.
The impossible choice: heating or eating
Julie Prince, who works for the civil service and lives in Somerset, faces a stark financial reality each month. Her mortgage and essential bills consume a staggering 80% of her monthly earnings. After cutting all other possible expenses, she is left with a heartbreaking choice.
"My mortgage and bills are 80% of my earnings. I've already cut expenses elsewhere, and I still can't afford it," Julie explained. "I don't really know if there's anything else that I could cut out."
A home too cold for visitors
The direct consequence of this financial squeeze is an icy home. Julie stated she has "pretty much never" switched on her heating, even during snowfall. The situation has become so severe it is affecting her social life.
"A friend was going to visit me tonight but declined when he realised I wouldn't have my heating on," she said. Her energy provider has warned that using her heating would double her monthly bill, an impossible sum for her budget.
She has resorted to hot water bottles, but finds they lose heat too quickly, and cannot afford alternatives like an electric blanket. Her only concession last year was a brief burst of heat to prevent her pipes from freezing, following a warning from her brother.
Caught in a benefits loophole
The crux of Julie's predicament lies in a perceived flaw in the benefits system. Despite her acute financial hardship, she is ineligible for Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) support like Universal Credit because she is in full-time employment and has a mortgage.
"If I owned my house outright, I would be eligible for it, and if I was renting, I would be eligible for it, but because I have a mortgage, I'm not eligible, and that's ridiculous," Julie argued. This rule leaves her feeling trapped and without a safety net as the cost of living crisis continues.
With Christmas approaching, her anxiety is mounting. "If I just have scraps in and nothing else, I'll go after four weeks," she admitted, highlighting the precarious balance between affording food and keeping a roof over her head. Her family and friends are deeply concerned but feel powerless to help.
