'It's horrible': Life on the streets where everyone's asking when the pain will stop

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Jean Holbrough loved her pets more than anything else in the world – dubbing the animals her “two best friends”. Having cared for the cat and dog duo for over 15 years, the Manchester mum was heartbroken when they recently succumbed to old age.

But beneath her grief and sadness, a little voice in the back of her head said: ‘At least you can save on pet care now’. “It’s horrible because I feel guilty,” the 64-year-old said. “I never thought I’d say, ‘You know what, I’m so glad they died,’ but that's the way you start feeling.” READ MORE: HMRC confirm date one million households will receive £301 cost of living payment Jean lives in Harpurhey with her son Michael and his partner.

Michael, 45, was forced to move out of his Whitefield flat two years ago due to rent increases. Like so many across Greater Manchester, the family are struggling to cope with rising costs – cutting back on as much as they can just to keep their heads above water. “It’s crippling,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “Every time you go to the supermarket, [items] don’t just go up by a penny or two pence, it’s going up by 20p or 30p. “The water rates have gone up, council tax has gone up, rents have gone up and gas and electric bills have gone up – but your pay doesn’t go up. “We don’t go out so there’s nothing else to give up.

You feel like you’re being pushed into debt because there’s nothing else to give up.” The family's financial situation has become so dire that Jean has even found herself skipping meals. “It’s depressing,” she added. “You find yourself trying to account for every penny that you spend and think, ‘Do I really need this?