Life on the Greater Manchester streets where families have to beg for clothes - and sit on the settee and cry

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Last Wednesday, Rishi Sunak addressed the rising cost of living in his Spring Statement. Fuel duty will be cut by 5p a litre and the threshold for paying National Insurance will increase by £3,000 from July. But with food and energy costs continuing to soar, many believe this is simply not enough to help the poorest in the UK.The number of people claiming Universal Credit across Greater Manchester has almost doubled in two years.

There are families teetering on the brink, sacrificing basic necessities just to stay afloat. READ MORE: Five appliances adding £290 a year to your energy bill even when they're switched off As the cost of living sees its fastest increase in 30 years, the M.E.N’s Paige Oldfield spoke to residents in Oldham about their concerns for the future. Clutching a polystyrene box, Julie Nuttall sits down to eat in Oldham town centre. “This is our daily food,” she says, pointing down at her jacket potato. "We might have a sandwich later, but this is our main meal.” It’s a hot March morning and the smell of baked potatoes fills the air.

For Julie and her nephew Shaun, this food truck is a lifeline. It means they can afford to eat a proper meal today. “We’ve been walking around Oldham trying to get the cheapest food we can,” the 59-year-old says. “We’re having child portions.” Like thousands of other families across Greater Manchester, Julie is facing the greatest uphill battle as the cost of living crisis cripples the country.

A full-time carer for her disabled nephew, it’s a worry that keeps her up at night. “We do a lot of camping, we use an outside BBQ,” Julie, who lives in Hollins, told the Manchester Evening News. “We’re going to have to make food on the BBQ just to cut back. “We’ve been