The crippling reality of Boris Johnson's government cutting Universal Credit has been laid bare as those living in Britain's poorest areas say they will be forced to "choose between bills and food".
The £20-a-week top-up, which was introduced during the dire straits of the Covid pandemic, comes to an end on October 6, reports YorkshireLive.
But now families living on so-called Benefits Streets - where residents are overwhelmingly reliant on schemes such as Universal Credit - fear they will not be able to cover their rising costs.
One 23-year-old mum living on the breadline said the extra money had been a lifeline but now she will be forced to "choose between bills and food".
"Winter is coming up," says Tee as she pushes her child through Manningham, near Bradford, in a pram. "Houses in the UK are not particularly warm and nor is the weather.
"The cut going to impact us. I will have to choose between bills and food."
With energy prices set to soar this winter, the jeopardy is two-fold for people already struggling to make ends meet.
The issue will be keenly felt in Manningham, which has a higher proportion of Universal Credit claimants than anywhere else in Yorkshire. 16.6 per cent of all adults living in the Bradford suburb rely on the monthly payment.
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"That extra £20 has made a big difference," says Tee.
"Now I have to cover it with extra shifts, but whatever I earn I have to pay out again for childcare - and childcare is not cheap. It just doesn't make sense."
Volunteers at an Islamic Relief charity shop on nearby Carlisle Road say customers are expressing concern as the October 6 deadline approaches.
"The £20 uplift helped a lot of people, but now they are taking it away people will struggle a lot," says sales assistant Tanzeem Sharif.
"They could spend that extra £20 on food and clothes for the kids and the family. They can't do that now."
She added: "I have got a friend who is really struggling. She is on Universal Credit and has got five kids who all go to school. Packed lunches are very hard for her. She struggles to pay for the lunches when she makes lunch from home.
"She was okay before, but now that money's gone. There are a lot of people struggling out there, but the government just don't understand."
A few doors down the road at Mannigham Library, 59-year-old Mohammed is already terrified about how tough he expects it will be when his weekly payments are cut by £20.
"It's no good," he says. "If I pay my rent, I can’t my bills. If I pay my bills, I can’t pay my rent. What can I do?
"Electric, gas... I can’t afford it. It’s too difficult. £10 [a week] less would be difficult, but £20 is even more difficult. I need more help."
With the deadline fast approaching, the impact will be most noticeable over the coming weeks.
Tee added: "My friend is really annoyed by the change as well, because now she's got two children. She's going to be affected a lot.
"It's not that they [politicians] don't understand. I feel like they do understand but it’s just that they don’t care.
"At the end of the day it's not really their problem. It doesn't affect them."
A government spokesperson said its focus has now shifted towards getting people back into work, but also pointed towards the creation of the £500m Household Support Fund to support struggling families.
In a statement, they said: "We’ve always been clear that the uplift to Universal Credit and the furlough scheme were temporary.
"They were designed to help claimants through the economic shock and financial disruption of the toughest stages of the pandemic, and they have done so.
"Universal Credit will continue to provide vital support for those both in and out of work and it’s right that the government should focus on our Plan for Jobs, supporting people back into work and supporting those already employed to progress and earn more."
