Cost of living: 'It's becoming impossible' says Ballymena charity

A charity in Ballymena that works to tackle poverty has said the number of people needing its help has more than doubled.

The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) said it was helping up to 80 households in the area every week.

Before the pandemic, the charity said it received about 35 weekly referrals.

SVP's northern regional president Mary Waide said levels of poverty in the town are rising.

Ms Waide said families with one parent working were struggling to pay bills

"For people who are living on the margins and trying to keep their head above water, it is just becoming impossible," she said.

"Among those needing support are families who never needed help before.

"I would say nearly a majority are people who are working, where there is one parent working and they just have not enough money to make ends meet.

"We would help them with food vouchers, electricity, their gas and we would supply oil for them."

'Big slice from the budget'

In the Ballykeel housing estate, the Presbyterian Church is also working to help people tackle the rising costs of living.

The church hosts a lunch club for older people once a month.

Minister Martin McNeely said: "Whenever times are difficult, communities - especially working-class communities - will pull together and support one another."

He said the prospect of rising energy prices was a concern.

"People are deliberately making choices about where they're going to spend their weekly or monthly budget," he said.

"Maybe instead of putting a tank of oil in, they're putting a half tank in."

John Maxwell from the Christians Against Poverty debt centre in the town said he expected more people will need help with rising bills in the coming months.

John Maxwell said people struggled to manage their debt for up to two years before seeking help

He said one client's gas bill had risen from £25 to £40 a week.

"That was before the current increases… obviously, out of a limited budget, that is a big slice, so people are going to struggle."

Mr Maxwell said people usually turned to the charity for help having spent two years trying to address their debt themselves

"With the increase in bills and the fact the cost of living is rising so much, there's obviously going to be a lot more help needed."

Mr Maxwell said people from at least three different denominations were working with the town's debt centre to help with food banks, job clubs and life skills.

"We can help in various ways through emergency aid with food and heating and help towards electricity and gas."