I didn't do any shopping this xmas due to limited saving. I don't celebrate xmas but every year I used to do lots of shopping from sale and offer that are given by the retailers...

It is very difficult for me to manage my budget with limited income. I have to think twice before do any big shopping...

Ive found really difficult lately as i handed my notice in at work in November as i was starting work at 4.45am and it was taking its toll on my body after 2 year since that we have had covid and then it was xmas so ive not been able to work when we had covid i wasnt able to claim the test and trace £500 payment as you have to be working so that made it harder ive had to go without certain things and had to borrow money off parents which i hate...

I haven’t been managing, it’s been horrific!

There is nothing left to cut back on. As I reiterate we are fortunate to have family support...

Well i went to do my weekly shop at asda i didnt buy no smellies like washing powder or cleaning products and i also didn't buy my usual 14pound box pet food my shopping came to 70 pound when I only had 55 pound i was mortified at the check out couldn't believe It came to that much

Christmas for my daughter and I has been very quiet for a few years now since there is just the two of us. This year however has been the most difficult to get through financially, with the rising cost of basic food items and utility bills ever increasing we a re finding that we are no longer able to even live a basic life without constant worry about if we have enough to eat or buy suitable clothing for my daughter...

Although I didn’t go without this Christmas the reason for that was I got so many things on by now pay later. A lot more than I ever have before...

Xmas was the same as any other time throughout the year. No support and lonely...

Oh my goodness I have been so blessed to have the best food bank local to me. Foodstock is amazing and they also deliver fresh food items...

My hopes are for things to start feeling normal again, hopefully things get affordable or atleast manageable again, and for my kids to be safe and well supported whatever happens in the year ahead...

It’s hard to think in hopes and fears because 2022 is full of so much uncertainty. I just don’t know what will happen, where we will be, or how we will cope...

I am nervous about a continuing insecurity and uncertainty about our collective health that knocks on to work plans and demands. The insecurity of work for me since the pandemic began has seen a massive increase in work pressure and extra hours required to achieve maybe less than before...

My biggest fear is that the omicron variant of covid-19 will overwhelm the country and the NHS and I will succumb to it in spite of being double vaccinated and boosted...

My Christmas preparations are always very flexible and kept as simple as possible. I'm a lone parent and have been for the past 16 years...

At the end of last year my wish was for 2021 to be a better year. To start and live a “normal life” whatever that is now...

Personally, I want security for my daughter and myself. My daughter to receive the education she needs...

I want freedom again. The fear generated by policticans and promoted by media to stop...

There have been several reports about the increase in the cost of living with the cost of food rising and utility bills rising even faster. There are just not any more cut backs I can make...

A new year, a new year of increasing stress , worry and unknowing. Covid cases where I live are more than double the national average causing a great deal of stress around leaving home and my daughter returning to school in January, she has had a first vaccine but not due her second until the end of January...

I had no preparation for x mas. Usually buy some winter outfit from sales in Boxing day but most of the shopping centre are closed during boxing day this year and top of that I had no extra money left to buy extra this year...

My biggest hope for the new year to get rid off this Covid and stop seeing people die in Covid. Want to live like normal life and back to the social and community life where we can meet and greet others with no more restrictions...

I dont even know if were allowed to have hope for next year are we we will have to wait for the next covid update off Mr drakeford

Lots of fears right now I may have COVID again and it was this time Last year COVID stole My Christmas and I couldn’t see my children because I was so ill and in the COVID unit and now I might have it again...

As the year comes to a close I am increasingly worried for what the future holds for us. We’re still ignored and vulnerable to homelessness...

My daughter and I always enjoy christmas espesially the tree and decorations,this year however is going to extremely difficult due to the rising cost of food and utility bills...

I've found it hard this year, I've had to take a loan out though my local credit union to cover my costs for this month, the only draw back is it will take me a year to pay off, and I feel I'll have to do the same again next year and be stuff in this rutt

Just a note on Christmas jumpers first, a bit of positivity hopefully for anyone struggling next year - I've made it a Christmas tradition to get 'winter' jumpers when we put our tree up - a wrapped jumper appears the next day...

I had no plan so far as already spent excess money on PCR test for my wife's overseas travel. Usually, I did lots of shopping during x-mas as it is at the end of the year and sale is going on this season though not celebrating...

This year I’ve found myself ordering more than ever on six months interest free. I haven’t done a food shop and I’ve had another letter to say my gas is going up again on the 6th of January...

I find the expectation of exchanging gifts the biggest stress. I can just about manage to buy presents for the children, my partner and my parents...

The whole Boris and the spending is news that is horrible but getting old. It’s hard to think of those stuffed shirts living in the lap of luxury while the poor are becoming poorer...

I feel this year is harder than any other. I can see the rise in gas and electric prices and I can feel the pinch in my purse due to rises in food costs...

This year I have some of my family coming, so there will be 8 of us. I have to use vouchers to be able to buy the food for Christmas dinner - and I’m hoping family will come and bring afew things with them as the price of everything has sky rocketed...

The taper rate is still a tax on income. Ok it's reduced from 63 p in the pound to 55 p in the pound earned, but compared to conventional taxation it's still a huge cut to the budget of working families...

Well it's a worry. I always shop around for my energy supplier to get the best deal but my energy company has gone bust along with several others, so the choice we used to have is shrinking & it looks like we are returning to the era of "The Big 6" again - who monopolised the energy markets...

Hi Stacey, I have had to put £75 in my electric in just over 5 weeks. That is nearly double what it was last year...

Without energy life is blank. With limited income it is very tough to manage everything...

Government should pay more in Universal credit for low income families as they are suffering more in this hardship. Redundancy, job loss hits more to them...

I am very worried about rising energy cost. I got only one fuel at home which is electricity...

Every day is a struggle to keep myself and my daughter warm. My lungs have been damaged by Covid and I'm told that it's not good for me to be cold...

My electric went up twice in six weeks. I live in Northern Ireland and we only have a few companies we can even use so we can’t really chop and change like in England...

I don't know of any other cutbacks I can now make to help cover the cost of energy price rises. I have now reached a point where I will be unable to heat the home I share with my daughter at all over the winter...

I don't know of any other cutbacks I can now make to help cover the cost of energy price rises. I have now reached a point where I will be unable to heat the home I share with my daughter at all over the winter...

For the last two years we have received the Warm Home Discount from our provider which is a big help, and their calculations of payments (paying the same across the summer) mean we are thankfully in a little bit of credit which should take the sting a little out of the rise in cost...

The rise in gas costs are high in NI. I’ve been on radio talking about this 70% rise in gas prices...

I’m low level anxious about the energy costs. I’m with Bulb who recently went into administration, however just as this was happening they put my monthly payments up from £91 to £157...

I have cancelled my direct debit to the bank. Wen through through couple of weeks if being in denial and now stressing about bills I cannot afford...

Our boiler has been faulty for some months. The central heating does not work...

What frightens me, is the power in the hands of a narcissist nightmare never seems to end. It's blatant abuse, to dictate what rules should be followed yet break them and get away with them...

So tomorrow will be 12 days before Christmas, but not ‘I will be looking forward to getting to have the same old Christmas like we used to’. As depressing as it may sound, we the British public, only have the Omricon variant to thank once again for revealing secrets from the Cabinet, they only wish they had locked away with a key one year ago from their ‘Christmas Quiz’...

As I said from the start. Boris and Co are making a fool out of everyone...

Absolutely horrific. Many people are poor and suffering...

It has been said that 498 people died during December 2020, most of these people died in hospital without their loved ones around them while the government partied, didn’t abide by the rules they created and also laughed about it...

I'm half my life this year. It hasn't been much different from the year before...

Hi, I'm looking quite lucky with the whole covid anger and Paulie just not myself and my family but families around me. I've known and had meant so many families who had it...

Alright, well, think about the new restrictions is basically not a lot has changed seem to be the stricter for those who are not vaccinated. I don't see a problem of the nurse passport or using our little cars...

Boris is not fit or suitable to run the country. He should be romoved from office by his own party members or voted out by the people of this country at the earliest possible time...

Another reason not to trust politicians? 🤷 I thought Boris wasn't at the party, and was furious about it? Another reason not to trust anything you see/hear/read in the news? 🙈🙉🙊 No change there then...

Here is hoping Christmas will be different this year. However, all around me people are thinking there will be more restrictions to come...

It feels like everything we take a step forward we take another step back. I’ve had my vaccine and I’m certainly not one of the antivaxers but the more things happen the more I’m starting to think hold on a minute this is all looking a bit suspect...

I’ve grown to accept this level of dishonesty, contempt and incompetence from our government. What I find worrisome is how unsurprised I am that no repercussions will come of their recent behaviour...

I personally I think Boris as a prime minister he was supposed to set a good example to the rest of citizens by following the rules. If the rules are set in place to reduce the spread of the virus so everyone can go on with there lives as a public figure he was supposed to behave and he can party in his household...

We have managed to get out & about a little more than before, which has helped to boost our mood but we still very much follow pandemic precautions. I have remained well in terms of not catching Covid - I am double jabbed, so that is a comfort, but it's no excuse to become complacent...

Support services still not available. Money is still tight due to lack of food in shops here in rural Scotland...

Fear is the main factor that continues to affect me and my family. I am scared that history will repeat itself and I am scared that we will not cope...

One of biggest worries when COVID hit was that all the ‘temporary’ changes that business/organisations made would become permenant. In some cases this has been good - mainly for people who work in offices who have more choice about working from home...

Hi, I know I've already answered the big question of the week. I felt like I only answered it in part, really...

Covid is still very much effecting us as a family. We are all double jabbed but still I am afraid off passing it on too my family...

I guess I am currently struggling to improve my work abilities. Finances and the lack of opportunity to increase my income is preventing Mr from developing good effective experience and training...

I still feel like a single mum, as my partner is not the father of my children and as he works nights he has a completely different routine to us and we don't get to spend much time with him unfortunately...

The dreaded covid still hasn’t left us financially and it won’t do for a very long time. Since the £20 uplift has been taken away and the energy prices have rocketed...

Covid is still affecting my family as we are a family of 4 children in education. This put the children in constant direct contact with others so not only are we being track and traced regularly but the kids being out of school so much means they seem to being getting every bug and cold going around which leads to needing pcr test so we seem to be going in circles with the kids having to be off for testing which is costing a lot in fuel...

I don’t know how single parents would cope when contracting covid, it must be so hard. Not only being ill their selves but having to possibly look after sick children or keeping children who are isolating occupied whilst being ill themselves...

Hi Ruth hope you are getting better quickly. Glad to see diary entries reopening as it’s a medium to share thoughts whenever someone wants to share...

Hi home. I was feeling back to how awful that's really, really hot, and interesting point because our self have been poorly...

COVID is still affecting my family as I still have long COVID and I am often very tired and lethargic. I didn’t have a proper Christmas last year so I am looking forward to this year but I am so very tired...

Well, having caught covid I'm not as worried now for my kids, but I'm still waiting for my sense of smell to return and I'm still feeling sleepy and crumby...

I am so grateful for this question to be asked, as for all my child less friends always try to minimise the experience of single parenting by saying “well you can’t complain because you chose to be a mother”...

Myself and my daughter were extremely careful during the covid outbreak but unfortunately when the schools reopend in September we both tested positive, this meant my daughter missing valuable school time in her final year...

So far we’ve managed to dodge Covid, although I expect we will catch it at some point. I’m now vaccinated with my booster, so I am less likely to suffer from the worst of it if I were to catch it...

During last few weeks we have heard enough about 3rd wave of Covid19 which don't want to give up so easily. Since 2 years it was chasing us...

Hello Ruth, sorry to hear about your covid house! We have just come out of the same scenario ourselves and I am a single parent. It was pretty tough actually and one of my kids who didn't get a positive test did the caring for everyone else...

Still impacting our lives. I'm on the vulnerable list and previously shielded for 16 months...

Nothing has felt normal for over 2 years now, and even if the past few months we’re starting to feel more “normal”, the backdrop of covid has never really gone away...

I had covid about six weeks ago. Lucky enough it wasn’t too bad...

Covid has left my autistic teenage daughter and myself still isolated, due to budget cuts in social care and education. Nearly 3 years out of school and never a prioity...

its alright helping us working parents we have to actually work these hours by the time we pay childcare or babysitters the extra money is gone absolutely ridiculous dont earn enough to get help with childcare

Working families should be helped. This situation is hugely indicative of a governmental system only benefiting those in power, where people clearly cannot make ends meet...

I'll declare an interest - I am part of one of the families in work who is going to benefit from this change. In fact, I think I only had one assessment period where I dropped back to the old pre-"covid uplift" rate when the £86 was taken away...

I think it’s a positive for those that work and will feel the benefit, and one day hopefully it will apply to us. Unfortunately it does nothing to help those who can’t work or are struggling to find work that fits in around caring responsibilities...

As always in this British Nation, what is a benefit-if it does not benefit all? I am on the non-working family on the social security side, so all I can calculate and compare it to in experience, is when I got a 8-13 pence payrise when I used to work in retail...

So high, I just answering the big question of the week, Jim, glad you've survived for me. I feel really happy that people can get more of the salary...

I think the new taper amount for the working on Uc is proving more how the government want to keep the poor poor. Uc has always been based around working family’s...

I think what upsets me most about these changes is not that it doesn't help my family, even though we're in our lowest amount I've been faced with since having kids and I'm scared but somehow just about managing...

Hi, it is great to have this platform back. Any measure to get more money into the pockets of families is always going to be a good thing, however I beleive that everyone in need should be given an equal amount of help and support in order to be able to support them and their families...

I think the percentage taper should lower at 45 percent. If it's not lower, it acts as a disincentive to increase hours...

While I appreciate how amazing it is that those who are in work are now able to receive greater earnings, this does nothing to address the thousands of people who may not be in work for a variety of reasons, through no fault of their own...

Hi Jim. I think everyone's immune system is low after the last 2 years...

It's great for working families - me included. A real incentive to carry on working...