'Levelled down': Do people really feel £10,000 poorer since 2010?

It's a windy morning in Wigan, but the town centre is far from quiet. Some people are shopping while others are going out for a coffee.

But money is tight for many, meaning sacrifices must be made. "I've got to be more aware of my money now," Audrey Welsh explains.

The 81-year-old was a civil servant before she retired 15 years ago - but she isn't 'one of those lucky people' with a generous pension. Although her state pension has increased, as the cost of living has gone up, she has had to make some cutbacks on the luxuries in life.

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"We don't go out for a meal as often as we would like," she says. "And we don't holiday as much as we were able to."

Audrey is not alone in feeling financially 'worse off' than she did a decade ago. New research published today (January 22) claims that, if the UK's economy continued to grow at the rate it did before 2010, the average person would have had an extra £10,200 to spend.

According to the Centre for Cities report, disposable income has dropped by an average of £12,230 per person compared to pre-2010 trends. In Greater Manchester, Wigan is the worst off with people £10,710 poorer than they would have been, the think tank claims.

Some people are feeling the pinch more than others. "I work for the NHS and the pay's sh*t." one 'worse off' woman tells the M.E.N.

The maternity support worker from Wigan, who asks to remain anonymous, says her pay has not kept up with rising costs. The 47-year-old has also had to cut her work hours so that she can look after her granddaughter - which means her income has taken a hit.

"I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't go out," she says. "I pay my mortgage and I only have £50 left for