Desperate families fear the worst as energy and food costs soar

theguardian.com:

I am writing this while panicking about how I am going to afford winter, never mind Christmas (Nearly a quarter of UK adults plan to keep heating off this winter, poll finds, 29 August). I have three disabled children and a husband with serious mental health issues, and our expenses are going up and up. I wake up each morning filled with a sick sense of doom about what the outlook is going to be. I cannot afford to take out a loan to cover costs as we would not be able to afford the repayments. We cannot say we will keep the heating off as we cannot allow our children to get cold due to their disabilities. Just how are we supposed to make ends meet?

The government is in a self-induced coma, detached from reality and ignoring the desperate pleas for help. How many of them are going to have to worry about heating their house or feeding their children? I try to keep a brave face for my children and my husband, but inside I am filled with an ever-increasing sense of dread. Am I going to be faced with having to tell my three-year-old that Santa just can’t afford it this year? How I can break his little heart like that and see the devastation on my children’s faces on Christmas morning when they think Santa didn’t care? It is a soul-destroying thought that children all over the UK are going to face this situation.Name and address supplied

I am 83 and live alone. My house is double-glazed and has cavity-wall insulation; the loft is insulated. I have already turned down the thermostat by one degree, and noticed the reduced comfort. I do not heat two of the three bedrooms. I will turn off the radiators in the hall and kitchen. I will use the microwave where possible instead of the oven.

When the washing can’t be dried outside, I