The Big Squeeze: How are people in Dorset coping with rising bills?

Karen Butcher from Dorset fears disabled people could be left behind

Author: George SharpePublished 1st Apr 2022

The Big Squeeze - the combination of rising energy prices, petrol prices, food bills that threaten the pockets of even the most stringent savers.

It's being driven by historically low usage at the start of the pandemic, and worsened by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

So how are people in Dorset coping with the crisis?

Karen Butcher from Christchurch is an administrator who has a disability called CMT (Charcot Marie Tooth) which affects her mobility. Her and her husband are both on low incomes. Energy suppliers have already written to Karen to let her know prices could be more than doubling in the near future.

"Whilst they haven't adjusted our budget account yet, I can only imagine that will happen in the next month or two as the debt accumulates.

"I have no idea what they might do yet, but I shall be negotiating with them when they do suggest a figure because the chances are I won't be able to afford what they suggest."

But Karen is indignant that she won't let the crisis impact her health.

"I refuse to put myself in a situation where I'm cold. I work from home, I need to be warm in order to function and if that means having the heating on more than the average household then so be it, I'm not prepared to compromise my health for the bills."

Karen says disabled people like herself are at risk of becoming a forgotten casualty of rising prices. Karen's Personal Independence Payments are only increasing by around £3 per week.

"There is a great deal of panic amongst the disabled community because disability benefits never go up by anything remotely like the cost of living.

"With the way that petrol is rocketing up in price, there is no way that £3 is going to put a tank full of petrol in the car and I don't have an option to use anything but a car, which a lot of people don't.

"I use my car to drive 100 yds. I don't have any option to get on a bus, partly because I can't get on a bus, partly because where I live where the bus service is appalling. I can't walk more than a few yards without pain, I certainly can't use a bike. I'm not the only one by a long, long way."

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