'There's nothing left at the end of the month'

Plight of almost a quarter of a million people in Greater Manchester who are 'living in the red'

- CHARLOTTE HALL

MUM-OF-THREE Gemma has been skipping meals so her youngest son can keep going to football training every week. It costs £5.

Despite her sacrifices, she says the price of food, council tax and bills continuing to rise means she's continuing to struggle.

"I have sacrificed myself from eating for my kids," she said. "I don't want to hold them back from doing what they want to do. "But with food and bills... even taking a bus, you really have to watch every little thing. It's a real struggle."

Gemma is one of scores of people constantly living in the red across Greater Manchester - having to make impossible decisions as the cost of living crisis deepens. Thousands are spending more on basics than what they have coming in.

Across the region, almost 250,000 are 'living in the red, according to research by the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Bolton and Oldham are two of the hardest hit boroughs in the region, according to the research, with around one in 10 people 33,000 people in Bolton and 22,000 in Oldstruggling to cover food and ham bills.

One Oldham resident estimated they were paying around £500 each month just to survive, more than she receives in Universal Credit. She said: "I'm having to go to foodbanks a lot. I've had to sign up for Warm Homes. It's hard. I've been looking for a job for three years. But no one wants to hire a 55-year-old. They want the younger ones."

An Oldham mum said money was tight for her and her two daughters a five-year-old and a six-month old baby - even with her partner working full-time.

"There's nothing left at the end of the month," she added. "It's not very nice, especially for the kids. I'd really, really like to save for the girls' futures. But I can't."