"I’ve been sneered at, shamed, judged and felt very isolated" - The heartbreaking stories of those living in poverty

People living below the breadline in Trafford have shared ‘harrowing’ stories about their experiences.

Describing everything from grief and mental health battles to huge debts from benefit overpayments and homelessness, residents fought back their own tears and anxiety to speak publicly about their experiences for the first time.

One resident opened with a poem she wrote, summing up the stigma and the reality faced by those living in poverty. She said: “I am lazy, I am a freeloader, I have never worked a day in my life, I’m a bit of a chav.

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“I am the survivor of domestic abuse, I have a university degree, I have MS, I underwent chemo twice, my kids are my world, I believe God is my saviour, I’m so much more than poor.”

Trafford council officially launched its Poverty Truth Commission, part funded by Trafford Housing Trust, on Tuesday, May 10, at Stretford Public Hall.

The scheme heard directly from those affected by poverty across the borough and aims to inform policy.

Today, those who have volunteered to share their stories and drive the borough’s response to tackling poverty through the scheme spoke candidly about their experiences, bringing many in the room to tears.

Mayor of Trafford, Coun Laurence Walsh, described the tales of the residents, who all asked not to be named, as ‘harrowing’.

One resident has two degrees and worked for years in the NHS. Following two miscarriages and a mental breakdown, she was forced into homelessness with her young son after her then partner threw her out.

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She said: “I’ve been looking for belonging all my