SINGLE mum Destiny Shirkhani only eats one meal a day so she can keep her electricity on to feed her three-year-old son.
The 23-year-old, former care worker, is already in debt on her energy prepayment meter.
Destiny Shirkhani with her young son Deejay
The young mum doesn’t know how to afford energy bills
Over the weekend, her energy bills jumped from £60 to £160 a month and she has no idea how we’ll afford to top-up her electricity and gas.
Destiny, from Bournemouth, Dorset, is mum to Deejay, three, and she regularly has to choose between heating and eating.
“Popping to the local shops to top up my gas and electric meter I know I’ll have to make a heart-breaking choice,” she told HOAR.
“Bread or energy and it’s only September
“It’s as simple as that.
Destiny has no idea how she will be able to afford presents or food for her three-year-old son this Christmas.
‘I’m in tears on a daily basis’
She adds: “I know that Christmas is out of my financial reach.
“It’s something that has had me in tears on almost a daily basis.
“I’m a single mum who knows she won’t be able to afford a christmas tree, decorations or even a small christmas gift for her son and Christmas is three months away.
Millions on benefits who are struggling with the cost of living have also been dealt a blow of uncertainty.
When he was Chancellor Rishi Sunak had promised to increase benefit payments including Universal Credit in line with inflation in April next year.
But last week, Prime Minister Liz Truss refused to confirm that payments will go up.
It means millions on Universal Credit face a real-terms pay cut.
Destiny added: “If the government doesn’t provide an increase in line with inflation it is saying we don’t count.
“It’s also confirming we won’t be able to turn on heaters, buy food or survive. It’s a poverty sentence.
She gets £1,250 a month in Universal Credit and after her rent and essential bills she is left with no cash.
Destiny would love to work – but she’s struggling to find flexible employment and she can’t afford childcare.
She said: “Finding work is hard as my son is at nursery five hours a day for three days a week and most employers are not that flexible.
“If I go full-time I won’t earn enough to pay for his full-time nursery and I don’t have any family who can care for him for free. It’s a terrible catch 22 situation.
“I do charity work to show my son about giving back. It also adds to my resume skills. These charity help so many people I want to give back.”
‘I won’t be able to afford presents this Christmas’
She knows this Christmas she won’t be able to afford presents – let alone decorations.
She said: “I was in a shop last week and tinsel was being put out but the £3 price tag might as well have said £3,000
“It’s out of my reach and taking Ceejay with me to do grocery shopping and seeing his eyes widen at the Christmas toys on sale makes me weep.
“It happened the other day and I knew I couldn’t afford anything he pointed at.
“I went home and cried.”
“It’s 2022 and as a single mum I can’t afford to top up my electric meter, buy enough food to ensure I eat three times a day or even consider a simple christmas gift for my son.”
The single mum is doing her best, but she’s running out of options.
She said: “To ensure I kept the lights on this summer I have had to rely on a National Energy Action charity voucher of £140.
“You take the voucher to the shops, and they put it directly onto the electric meter.
“I was then told to apply to the Household support fund, and I got a voucher of £100 for essentials.
“I have had to visit food banks three times in the last six months.”
