‘I FEEL HUMILIATED, BUT IT’S BETTER THAN STARVING’
Single mum Corrina Baker, 34, works as a sales associate for a storage company. She has three children – Alesha, 16, Alyx, 15, and Ayda, three months – and lives in Cwmbran, near Cardiff in South Wales.
She says, “Six weeks ago I found myself in a position I never thought I’d be in – walking two miles to a food bank, as I didn’t have any money to feed my three children, and I couldn’t even afford the bus fare to get there.
“Christmas this year will be a non-event – I’ll go to the supermarket on Christmas Eve and see what’s reduced and bulk up any meat I can afford with tinned vegetables from the food bank.
“I’ve saved a few vouchers for the older girls to buy them presents, but I won’t buy anything for the baby, as she won’t remember.
“I still find it embarrassing and confusing as to how I’ve ended up like this. I’m fiercely independent and I’ve worked since I was 14 – starting out in cafés and recently progressing to a job in sales. While I was working we were doing OK, and if we had unexpected outgoings I could take on extra shifts to make ends meet.
“My baby was planned, I’d been with her father for two years. But sadly, when I was four months pregnant, we split up and what had once been affordable became very difficult on a single income of statutory maternity pay.
“Her father helps as much as he can, but he’s disabled after fracturing his spine in a car accident and can’t work. He’s on Universal Credit – the new benefits system – and payment delays mean he’s in crushing debt.
“I did all I could to make ends meet when I went on maternity leave. I cancelled both Sky and Netflix and everything else I could to save, even pennies, like changing to a water meter. But my outgoings were £200 more than my income – with no luxuries at all. My baby needs special milk because she’s got reflux – I couldn’t breastfeed as we both had sepsis when she was born and needed antibiotics.
“I have to keep the house warm for the children, so gas and electricity eats into a huge portion of my income. Then, to get the girls to school, it costs an extra £20 a week in bus fares.
“I was desperate and spent on credit cards, but they are now maxed out and I owe £1,300. I also took out a £500 loan and borrowed money from my family. I contemplated going back to work early, but with childcare costs I won’t be much better off.
“I went to Citizens Advice with spreadsheets of all my finances, and they suggested I went to a food bank. I felt humiliated, but it was better than starving.
“I would always make sure the girls were fed, but I was living on toast and noodles.
“The first time I went to the food bank, I was fighting back tears. They were very kind and I was so fortunate to be able to get some food.
“It’s an awful time, but I’m just hoping things will get better. Without the food banks, I’d really struggle to put food on the table.”