Cost of living crisis hitting families in the High Peak hard

But now High Peak residents are facing another financial nightmare with a cost of living crisis hitting people in the UK.

Prices for food, fuel and energy are on the rise, with further increases expected in the coming months.

And the issue is a real concern for many people, some who are already struggling to get back on their feet or to make ends meet.

Melanie Mallinson, Operations Manager at Citizens Advice Derbyshire Districts said: “Now the new year is underway many people are facing a post pandemic crisis.

“The cost of living has been increased because of steeper inflation and high energy prices. Household incomes that have been finely balanced are now being tipped by these additional costs that are essentially beyond their control.

“The impact is increased for people with disabilities who can face higher bills because of the need to keep their homes warmer.”

Inflation, a measure of the change in the cost of living, has reached a 30-year high of 5.4 per cent as prices sky rocket.

Droughts and high temperatures last year resulted in a lower crop for wheat and rapeseed oil which pushed the price of pasta and margarine up.

The price of a pint of milk has soared because of the rising cost of feeding cattle.

Farmers are also feeling the pinch as they are paying more for labour and increased transport costs due to the shortage of HGV drivers and rising fuel costs.

This all means supermarkets putting up prices.

Energy costs have also increased massively, with many people reporting huge changes to their bills.

And increases on fuel have been widely documented in recent months, with petrol and diesel costs having soared.

However, wages have not been increased to meet the new costs so people are feeling the effects more.

Lia Roos who heads up the Residents of Fairfield Association (RoFA), in Buxton said: “A loaf of bread may go up by 10p one week but its not just bread going up, it’s everything.

“This pushes the price of your shopping up by five or ten pounds. And for people struggling, five or ten pounds extra a week is a huge amount.

“The worst is yet to come when the energy prices go up in a couple of months.

“It’s not just people on Universal Credit who are suffering, everyone is feeling this pinch and the people who work but don’t qualify for any help are really struggling.”

Lia and the volunteers at RoFA operate a weekly food share scheme where surplus supermarket food is sold off at a discounted rate. The association also provides training for people who may be out of employment to help get them back to working.

Lia said: “Times are tough and I think they are going to get worse but we are not a charity, we are a community and we are here to help so don’t be afraid to pop down and see us if you need to.”

More price rises are expected in the coming months as regulated rail fares in England will rise by 3.8 per cent in March and TV and broadband prices are also due to increase around then.

Council tax rises are also expected in many areas of the country.

April will also see the energy cap, which was introduced in October, scrapped. This will mean the cap which limits what a firm can charge will be gone. And energy users will likely feel the change straight away as direct debits will be upped based on annual usage.

National Insurance payments will also be increasing from April and with higher outgoings more people have turned to food banks to help make ends meet.

But the food banks are reliant on donations and support from local people and organisations in order to keep providing for those in need.

Paul Bohan from High Peak Foodbank, said: “For the first time ever we have run out of tinned soup.

“We are also having to reduce the amount we put in our food parcels to try and cope with the demand for people using the services of the foodbank which is something we have never faced before.”

High Peak MP Robert Largan said more needs to be done to tackle the issue.

He added: “I am deeply concerned about the rising cost of living, particularly with energy bills on the rise.

“Already the Government has introduced a range of measures to support the lowest earners.

“But I’ll be the first to say more needs to be done.

“I have regularly met with ministers to discuss concerns of businesses in High Peak and, over the coming weeks, I will be using my voice in Parliament to make the case for more support to help households hit by rising energy bills.”

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