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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Damon Wilkinson

'I was born poor and it looks like I'm going to die poor': The hard reality of the cost of living crisis on the estate with a motorway in the middle

Stay-at-home mum Emma Thomas is walking her three-year-old daughter to nursery.

The 20-year-old has recently moved in with her partner, a chef, on the Dicky Bird estate in Bury. He's working as much overtime as he can, but with energy bills and food prices soaring Emma says it's still only just enough to cover the basics.

"I've just moved out of my grandma's and it's hard," she said. "We've got to be careful with everything.

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"At the end of the month we've got about £40 left, if that. My electricity was £21 a week, now it's £41 a week. Since I moved in with my partner the council tax have gone from £20 a month to about £90.

"We barely have anything to spend on us. We might get a takeaway every now and again. We just have to focus on paying the bills and my daughter.

Emma Thomas and her daughter Crystal (Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)

"It's my 21st birthday coming up soon as well. I don't know what we'll do, probably just go to a cafe for a cheap meal."

Emma's not the only one finding it tough at the moment. With inflation rates at their highest for 30 years Britain is facing a cost of living crisis.

And on the Dicky Bird, which is notorious for being split down the middle by the M66, people are feeling the pinch more than most.

The estate is in the top one per cent of the most deprived areas in the UK - and Cath Robertson, from the estate's Tenants and Residents Association, says many families have been pushed to the brink by the crisis.

The TRA runs an emergency foodbank from Chesham Fold community centre and cafe on Wednesday mornings.

Cath says over the last year its use has tripled.

Some weeks up to 40 people - roughly one in ten households - collect food parcels.

Cath Robertson (Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)

"We've run out of food on a few occasions," said Cath. "During Covid we got a lot busier.

"A lot of people round here got laid off when the furlough scheme ended.

"It's a very poor area and it's hit everybody."

Hisham Arif's family own the estate's shop next door to a foodbank. The 22-year-old says it's clear many people are struggling.

"You see customers walking in counting out their money," he said.

"They've got the exact change in their hand, they know exactly how much it costs.

"A lot of people round here are on Universal Credit, but it's not working for them.

"It's not enough. The government aren't doing enough, the council aren't doing enough. It's like they don't give a s***."

"There are lots of people who are struggling at the moment. Prices are going up, they can't afford things, they can't get jobs."

Hisham says the price increases are affecting the business too.

"The price of cigs seems to be going up 20-30p every couple of weeks. Chocolate's going up.

"You can't get crisps from the cash and carry - Walkers, things like that. It's Covid, it's Brexit, it's everything.

"We try to keep prices down, but when everything's going up it's hard. Electricity bills are going up, everything's going up, but we just have to live with it."

Just down the road Daniel Hilton, 68, a retired painter and decorator, is taking a break from his morning walk.

"You can only cut your cloth so much, then you have to start going cold or hungry," he said.

"Adults who were around in the 50s and 60s, they know what it's all about, they've experienced hardship before, but I think it's going to come as a shock to a lot of younger generation.

"I'm quite prudent with what I use. I'm on a pension, but I can still cut a little back if needed.

"But I think if we carry on with these sanctions on Putin and Russia, it's only going to get worse.

"I was born poor and it looks like I'm going to die poor."

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Back at the community centre Paul Agnew, 50, is collecting a food parcel for the first time.

A scaffolder by trade, he's just moved back to Bury and is trying to rebuild his life after spending the last seven months in Brighton, where he ended up homeless.

"Everything's going up," he said. "That's why places like this are a god-send.

"Universal Credit is £75 a week. You pay your bills, get a bit of food and the essentials and that's it. There's nothing left after that.

"There's no treats, nothing else. I need to get back into work before I can afford stuff like that."

Sarah Hargreaves (Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)

Sarah Hargreaves is a children and families worker from Bury Christian Fellowship, and works with struggling families on the estate.

She says many are having to choose between heating and eating.

"A lot of people are struggling to pay their bills," she said. "A lot of people hate winter, because they can't cope. They know they'll have no money.

"They just look beaten. You can see it in their faces. I took some electric heaters round to a family one weekend when it was absolutely freezing, because their gas had been cut off but they had emergency electric.

"Disposable income is going to become a thing of the past, and a lot of these families didn't have any disposable income to start with, so where does that leave them?

"We try to give them hope. We offer food, advice, practical things and fun things for them to do as a family.

"But it's difficult. It's a really worrying time."

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