A single mother has been left in a state of "panic" about how she will feed her child this winter following cuts to Universal Credit.
Sophie Hook, 29, has spoken out after the temporary £20 uplift in Universal Credit payments was cut by the government, leaving thousands of claimants looking at reduced benefits ahead of winter.
She told Mirror Online that she "can't stop crying" and is in a state of panic about how she is going to feed her young daughter as winter approaches.
READ MORE: DWP reveal Universal Credit Christmas 2021 payment dates
She said: “I’m terrified. How am I going to feed my child this winter? That extra £20 a week is pretty much the majority of my food shop.
“How the hell am I going to cope? It panics me and I can’t stop crying. But I have to keep on smiling for my daughter's sake.
“I am sitting here constantly now looking at my budget, wondering what I can cut back on. It’s cold but I haven’t turned the heating on yet, I can’t bear to do it. I’m thinking now; ‘can I keep the lights on?’
“But already I shop at the cheapest supermarkets, I don’t go out and I don’t do anything for myself. We wear second hand clothes."
The mum told how she worked in a senior role at an estate agents based in Coventry, earning between £1,600 to £1,800 a month, before Nellie was born two years ago.
She went onto work for Bupa from home during the lockdowns but was made redundant in January.
Since then she has been struggling to survive on £600 a month but that is about to be reduced to just £520.
In response to the pandemic, a temporary £20 per week increase to universal credit payments was introduced.
The scheme officially ended on October 6.
The exact date people will see the cut kick in will depend on the day they get their Universal Credit payment. For many, this means September will be the last month they see their benefits paid at existing levels.
Sophie said: “Why could the Government have not just waited until the other side of the winter to do this. Not when I’m paying twice as much for heating.
"It just feels like another kick to vulnerable people, when we are already down. I don’t understand the theory behind it at all, it’s so frustrating.
“My health visitor has told me how the food banks work but I feel ashamed that I cannot provide for my child without resorting to this. It feels like I've failed.
“The cost of living has gone through the roof during the pandemic and the benefits don’t reflect that.
“All I want to do is give my daughter the best start in life and it feels like I’m constantly fighting a losing battle.”
