Priced Out- Tackling The Rising Cost of Living

Aim: We are helping people facing homelessness, addiction, abuse and long-term unemployment to cope with the impact of the rising cost of living

Changing Lives support over 12,500 people across the country each year experiencing homelessness, abuse and exploitation, addiction and long-term unemployment. 

Rapidly increasing food and energy costs coupled with changes to the tax and benefits system are creating a perfect storm for the people we support, excluding them from society and pushing them further towards a life of extreme poverty.

Already, we are seeing a devastating picture for many people we work with. Our services are reporting an 80% increase in the number of people who are struggling to make ends meet; often unable to afford to buy food, pay their rent and utilities bills, or meet essential transport costs such as travelling to work or paying a bus fare to take their children to school.

This project will support people by;

- Delivering food parcels to those experiencing social and economic deprivation. 

- Paying utility bills for those who face a winter with no heating or hot water. 

- Paying for essential travel so children can continue to stay in education, and adults can continue to travel to work. 

Your donations will help to change thousands of lives - for the better. 

Our research also revealed that 90% of people accessing our services reported the rising cost of living had negatively affected their mental health and wellbeing, with poor mental health (including attempted suicide and self-neglect) and hunger being the highest reported. 

60% of services reported an increase in homelessness, including an increase in the number of people who are sofa surfing.

60% of services reported a greater risk of abuse, loneliness, relationship breakdown and exploitation, including the number of people being groomed for sexual exploitation or becoming involved in ‘survival sex’; exchanging sex to meet immediate needs such as food, shelter or to provide for their children.

Can you donate to help us change thousands of lives this winter?

To find out more, read our Priced Out policy summary report here;

https://www.changing-lives.org.uk/policy-and-research