Harrogate man couldn't afford to "eat for almost a week" after rise in rent and bills
We've been to a foodbank in Harrogate to talk to people about how they're coping with the cost of living
We've been hearing from a Harrogate Dad who says he couldn't afford to eat and would go to bed hungry after a rise in his rent and energy bills.
Paul is now getting help from the Mowbray Community Church foodbank in Harrogate.
But he says rising prices meant he couldn't afford to eat and his weight plummeted to just 8 stone. "I was always shaking constantly, it didn't look good, obviously I couldn't make ends meet with food. I've never been a person who goes shoplifting so I couldn't do that. It's been really, really hard."
Demand at the foodbank has gone up 30% in the last few weeks, at the same time donations have dropped 20% as everyone feels the squeeze because of the rising cost of living. Dawn Cousins is the Manager "Now people have had their energy estimated over the next few month people are now panicking. By the time people have paid energy and general household bills there is not a lot of money left for food and if you are on a low income anyway it's difficult isn't it.
The new Prime Minister Liz Truss is expected to announce her plans to help tackle soaring energy bills today. It's expected she'll announce a price freeze costing in the region of 90-billion pounds - but she says she won't use a windfall tax to pay for it.