Hi, this is a story of ordinary poverty as I’m sure many will find. For the first time ever I find myself in the degrading position to have to ask for help. I‘m a single mum, separated from an abusive partner. My son is 5 years old a beautiful little thing with a double disability and he is the joy of my life. I work part time & in receipts of no disability benefits or housing benefits. I have applied but it takes weeks and weeks just to get anywhere.

I am practically destitute at the moment and today I will have to choose if to use my last £10 to buy a few cans of food or take my child to physio he desperately needs for his leg (he has also an emerging emiplegia) and has trouble walking. I have approached two charities but I also have to go through a vetting process and in one case I need to produce quite a bit of paperwork, I am just so ashamed to have to ask total strangers to fill in a form where I have to explain my circumstances. Or even to create this page has taken me so much courage.

The reality is, I need some money quick. I have managed to scrape and save my next rent (well 70% of it) but I literally have no resources to pay for other bills and food. My cupboard food is running low as well as my freezer. Because my child takes strong medications daily, I have to feed him a fresh and healthy diet so I can’t get by with ready-made meaIs. I cannot apply for payday loans as realistically I cannot afford the repayments. I had a childminder to cover the non nursery hrs so I could work enough hrs to qualify for working tax credits and keep my job going, to pay her I had to borrow and she has been brilliant with the little one. But I had to let her go. I am self employed, if I dont work I don‘t earn, and each medical appointment cost me a day’s work. So I’m stuck between a rock and hard place while standing on a crevice.

I know, I know you are all sick and tired of hearing these stories. I am truly sorry for asking and the humiliation I feel is raw and real. Anything, even little will help. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.