"It feels like there are a lot of people on my back all the time": Thousands of people in Stockport are all having the same problem

Thousands of people are struggling to make ends meet in Stockport - according to an advice charity which has seen a huge demand for its services.

Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford has received calls from almost 10,000 people so far this year. The majority of those, 6,429, were looking for help about benefits and debt.

It has led to a call for Government payments to be increased in line with inflation to help people in Stockport and around the UK who are struggling to meet their basic needs such as keeping their homes warm and buying food.

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One 69-year-old retired carer from Hazel Grove, who receives Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for a disability, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that she is using food bank vouchers to get by and worries that British Gas could cut her electricity off after she missed a payment last month.

Rosslyn Brennan, who struggles with walking and is also suffering from lung cancer, claimed that the £330 she receives from PIP each month just isn't enough anymore.

She said: "My energy bill is more than £200 every month, I only missed it once last month and since then it has gone up. I'm worried that I might get cut off from electricity. It feels like there are a lot of people on my back all the time.

"Benefits increasing would make things a lot easier for me but it wouldn't make the problems go away. I don't think there's enough being done to help people like me and others with the cost of living."

A British Gas Spokesperson told the LDRS that the firm has contacted Ms Brennan to agree a payment plan for her energy bills.

There are around 9,400 older people