I switched off my fridge to save cash in two years on breadline
Charities give £218m to UK families mired in poverty
HARD-UP British families claimed nearly a quarter-of-a-billion pounds of charitable aid last year.
Figures revealed that the top 120 UK charities paid out a combined £218million to almost half a million people – often to pay for food, clothing or “basic essentials” such as fridges, cookers and beds.
The report by the Association of Charitable Organisations also claimed a third of a million people needed “non-financial” help, up by 53 per cent compared to 2016.
The organisation’s chief executive, Donal Watkin, said the figures underlined a rise in “people with nowhere else to turn”.
He added: “Some of the people helped never expected to face tough times.
“Perhaps they’ve been made redundant and their savings have run out as they have struggled to find new employment.
“Others may be receiving cancer treatment and are off work with no pay, while the bills keep coming in and mount up.
“On a single day, our members help hundreds of people across the country and collectively they have a real societal impact.”
The aid provided included cash handouts to buy basic appliances such as fridges and cookers.
It also helped to pay for beds, wheelchairs, psychological counselling, carer help and debt advice.
The figures also show a significant rise in cases where non-financial aid has been given out by charities. In 2016 there were estimated to be about 220,000 cases where people needed help but by 2019 the figure had risen to 338,708.
Cash sums where financial aid has been provided have risen from around £203million to £218million over the same period.
The findings follow research – released last week – which showed two million British families are without essential appliances like cookers, fridges and washing machines.
Campaigners blamed the abolition of the Social Fund in 2013, which gave support to households without essential appliances.
Last night charities said the rise in demand for support has also been driven by collapsing living standards and static wages.
They also blamed cuts to the NHS, care services and welfare benefits.
Kris Barnett, chief executive of the Institution of Civil Engineers’ Benevolent Fund, said: “When I started here most of the applications were from widows and older people.
“Now we see that 70 per cent of our beneficiaries are people of working age who are struggling with modern life.”
EMILY Beardall had just finished studying to be a pharmacist when she was struck down with chronic fatigue syndrome.
She was unable to work and cut back on all her household expenses when she was refused benefits.
Emily, 44, said: “I was skimping on food and at one point I switched off my fridge to save money as it was empty from not being able to afford food shopping. I’d cut back on all expenses to the point where I had no TV licence and no home phone.
“I was having to decide which of the very basic necessities to pay for and which I could go without.”
But after two years of living on the breadline Emily, of Bradford, saw her life “turn around” when she discovered Pharmacist Support – a charity set up to provide help for people in the profession and their families in times of need.
The charity gave her cash to tide her over while it arranged for an adviser to sort out her benefits and helped with the purchase of a mobility scooter.
Emily said: “I kept burying my head in the sand when it came to my financial situation and it was having a negative effect on my mental health. I felt trapped, hopeless and couldn’t see a way out.
I also felt abandoned and forgotten about, and just left to struggle. Within days of contacting Pharmacist Support, all that changed.
“It felt like I had been picked up and carried out of a horrible situation and was reminded that people do care.”
Emily is now hoping to work part-time, which she said would “complete things”.
‘These are people with nowhere else to turn’