It is hard enough living below the poverty line, surviving on benefits, if they don't rise with inflation it is effectively an income cut to the poorest people in UK society. We would have to make more difficult decisions about how to spread the same amount of money even further. We are stretched thin enough already and have been for years. It affects our family's health but I believe that is Government's intention and desire.

As a family who already have used food banks to get by in the last 6 months, to then not have benefits increased in line with inflation would be a devastating blow to our already struggling finances. Everything is costing more and more, I can't remember the last time we went out to the cinema or had a meal out - increasing days are spent at home, wondering how we can utilise what we already have and thinking about different revenue streams. To then have to worry further about our household income demonstrates how profoundly the cost of living crisis is still affecting families like mine. The stigma attached to people claiming benefits continues, as the general feeling surrounding increasing benefits is often frowned upon. I've heard people saying "They get enough already. Why don't they get up and work for a living" We still have a long way to come as a society, and increasing benefits will at least give those struggling a sense of dignity.

Hi Millie,

If benefits didn't increase in line with inflation it would bring a very significant negative impact on me and my family.

We are already trying to make ends meet, scrimp and save. It would squeeze us further, there would be no money for social activities, health and exercise based activities, leisure /holidays just wouldn't be affordable.

The ripple effect of this would be a strain on our mental health and also, in the long run, our physical health and wellbeing will feel the detriment of this unfair economic situation.

Thank you.

If benefits do not increase in line with inflation, it would mean we will become homeless. I am already in receipt of full housing benefit and I still need to pay extra to the private landlord. I struggle to cover this and energy bills, food and necessities.

It causes me anxiety on a daily basis of losing our home. We have lost 2 homes already in the last 6 years.

The council refused support with discretionary housing payments.

They are not adhering to rules of benefits where disability benefits are not to be taken into consideration when processing applications. Citizens Advice are overwhelmed and have a backlog for support.

I feel I am trying to keep my head above water and it's exhausting.

I get very down at knowing what the Conservatives think of our worth and how we are punished for not bringing in a high wage, and prejudiced for relying on benefits

It would be very hard as I'm struggling now with bills and food. I know the people who decide what's happening never struggle.

Absolutely not. As with everything the new normal has been accepted, the middle classes have one fewer coffees a week, and those who have always struggled, still struggle on.

Is the cost of living crisis over? I think that it is no longer a crisis, as that implies something short term and accidental. It is more of a manmade disease than a crisis. I think what we are experiencing now are the very intentional consequences of policy decisions which reward the rich and further penalise the poor. Coupled with the deliberate hostility towards anyone who has to rely on social security and the punishingly low rates of Universal Credit and disability benefits. I think in the UK today we are experiencing Capitalism at its most extreme as part of the Conservative's fascist regime. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer and success is determined solely by how much wealth can be accrued, regardless of the cost to the health, wellbeing, happiness or future of people or our planet.

This question of the week is very interesting, but also very difficult to answer. An immediate thought might be great, but when you think about it more it seems to be riddled with problems and far too many to write about here. There are to many different types of family and household groups to consider for one, near where I live there is a small terraced house where there is a large family of 8 or more working adults living together, Where as I am a single parent on Legacy benefits, not even able to receive free school meals for my daughter.

Or put in another way there are so many geographical differences in the cost of living, so I don’t believe it could really level out society that much. There are different costs involved with living in a city center or in the countryside.

Other things to consider would be…

How open to fraud would this be,

Initial cost to the country & where would the money be recovered from,

Number of qualifying adults in a household,

Would other help remain, for people with disabilities ect. War injury payments, pensions, PIP, funeral payments. This list could go on…

Medical health costs, NHS dentist, medical exemption certificates, infant milk,

What about the homeless ? What about refugees that are unable to obtain public money?.

On the face of it it would seem to be a good idea but it would not change the fact that we are all living in an unfair society that has very little chance of changing.

There are many people in this country that simply would not even notice if they were given 1600 pounds a month. Also there are many families / households in this country that do not get that amount, Including housing costs, new style ESA, water help ect. I am one of these people despite living with and supporting my daughter who is still in full time education and will one day hopefully be able to make her own way out of the life she has been up in despite it being her fault in any way.

As for the actual question I just remembered I was answering. I simply don't know, it has been too many years since myself and my daughter led any sort of meaningful life.

I just wanted to log that the divide here I'd increasing.

It can be seen just in comparing two schools.

One school in a mix area of social diversity where 50% or more are on pupil premium where one mile away another school has two out of 30 children on pupil premium.

This also reflects on the leaning opportunities for children, where more affluence areas, children are able to go on more school trips and experience a wider learning environment compared to other schools in less affluence areas or mixed ones.

I would like to ask the MPs what they really think and how they think they could help people in certain circumstances.

What would they do if they’d fallen on hard times?! How would they cope?

Why did the Conservatives fast track £millions of contracts for PPE to peers who created businesses that were only 3 weeks old in lockdowns, whilst low income families had to use foodbanks?

Michelle Mone infamously made profits from faulty PPE and disappeared.

Why were you accepting of some people including the elderly, disabled and children struggle to put food on the table yet hand out £millions to your friends. Is this not corruption?

Question for MP's

Why were businesses receiving grants of up to £2000 in lockdowns whilst children in single parent families whose ( mostly fathers) are business owners, received nothing?

The DWP workers were taken off caseloads of the Child Maintenance Service to trace non payers of Maintenance, to process Universal Credit.

My ex husband already had savings and investments, lives in a luxury house, top of range car etc... boasted he received 3 payments of £2000 in lockdowns.

The Child Maintenance Service informed me these grants were not to be used in calculating his income in lockdowns.

My daughter had no financial support throughout lockdowns from her father and I had to use foodbanks. As we became homeless due to private landlord selling up the flat, my ex husband thrived, and still does as he takes advantage of tax and child maintenance loopholes.