Cost of living has left Stoke woman with little money for food

Denise Gun said she is also suffering from grief, having lost her parents and partner within 12 months

A woman has said she cannot remember the last time she had a hot meal due to the rising prices of her bills.

Denise Gun, 57, works for a creche run by Chell Area Family Action Group in the Whitfield Valley Centre, Stoke-on-Trent.

After taking to Facebook to ask local friends where to get help for food from, Ms Gun got financial advice from the organisation Potteries Moneywise.

"My fridge is empty, my purse has been empty for months," Ms Gun said.

"I never have money for what people would deem luxuries of life like going out for a drink or just having a little treat - that's just a dream now."

The Whitfield Valley Centre is a base for the charity Chell Area Family Action Group as well as recently running sessions of how to budget

Lloyd Myatt a financial advisor from Potteries Moneywise runs regular sessions on budgeting.

He told the BBC due to the cost of living crisis, they were "seeing a different demographic to the normal client we tend to see".

"Not the one who may be claiming some type of benefit, we're seeing clients in that middle income bracket," he said.

Mum-of-two Julie Jackson has made changes to make her money go further.

"We've started buying meat in bulk from the abattoir rather than getting it at the supermarkets," she said.

"My partner now rides a scooter to work instead of using the car," Ms Jackson added.

Ms Jackson is a mum-of-two and has found different ways to budget

On Thursday, the cost of filling an average family car with petrol hit £100 for the first time.

Both the AA and the RAC have urged the chancellor to cut VAT on fuel or to reduce fuel duty further.

A local newsagent on Fegg Hayes Road said they have seen a difference in the way people are spending

Down the road from the centre on Fegg Hayes Road is the local newsagents.

The owner told the BBC that for the 30 years he has been in the city, residents are used to budgeting.

"The budgeting's not new - people have always done that here, if you've got a limited income you've been used to doing this for a long time," he said.

However, he added he has noticed a change in customer's spending, especially those using pre-loaded gas and electricity cards.

He said people coming in once a week were now coming two or three times but not loading as much on, instead, putting "£3 or £4 on a day".

"Embarrassed and upset"

Tom who volunteers at the centre, doesn't currently work due to health problems. He says his debts are mounting as he struggles to pay bills.

"I'm £900 in debt [for electricity] and they want me to pay nearly £100 a month and I can't afford that," he said.

He added he does not use the heating even if it is freezing cold and instead wears more layers and a dressing gown.

Tom volunteers at The Whitfield Valley Centre

He said he felt "embarrassed and upset".

Last month, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced that all UK households will get a grant which will reduce energy bills by £400 from October.