Kate works at a community centre. Despite receiving Tax Credits to top up her salary, she is finding it increasingly difficult to feed herself and her son. She says, “At work, I might go almost all day without something to eat, and at home I never have a lot of stock food in. If I go shopping at one of the cheaper places and I buy bulk vegetables and salads, they go off really quick, but they’re a lot cheaper than going to one of the higher brand shops. Over the last three years, I’ve noticed that my income hasn’t changed but my expenses have soared, so I’ve found myself going deeper and deeper into the red every month, and that’s just for my basics. I seldom go out. I don’t drink. I buy from charity shops. I don’t know where to shop anymore. Everything is about budget.”