For people like us, the cost of living crisis is far from over. Just because inflation rates may have slowed slightly, this does not all of a sudden mean people who rely on in-work or out of work benefits can afford the basic costs of living. Again it is the media who are perpetuating this, and there are perhaps political reasons to do so. Surely if the crisis was over, then families like ours would not be paying a larger proportionate percentage of income for food, housing and energy.

This September has hit the hardest. I have had to make cuts to what I buy in terms of school uniform, eeking out last year’s tattered uniform and making do with items outgrown. The cost of childcare has increased too and that has put an enormous strain on my budget.

Is the cost of living crisis over? I think that it is no longer a crisis, as that implies something short term and accidental. It is more of a manmade disease than a crisis. I think what we are experiencing now are the very intentional consequences of policy decisions which reward the rich and further penalise the poor. Coupled with the deliberate hostility towards anyone who has to rely on social security and the punishingly low rates of Universal Credit and disability benefits. I think in the UK today we are experiencing Capitalism at its most extreme as part of the Conservative's fascist regime. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer and success is determined solely by how much wealth can be accrued, regardless of the cost to the health, wellbeing, happiness or future of people or our planet.

I'm getting tired of seeing reading or hearing the news.

Interest rates are a hot topic... Wish they would all just quit their jobs in parliament.

The only achievement in years of this government, is ruining people's lives.

A tricky question for me as costs are rising and the Gov keep moving the goalposts back regularly on coat of living.

The cost of housing here is high.

To cover basic bills and rent, food , An adequate monthly basic allowance would be £2000.

What is deemed as a necessity?

Food and bills? Paying for after school activities for the children? Owning a car in a rural area?

A holiday once a year?

A taxi to A& E , 15 miles away when needed at £30-£40 each way?

The very fact corrupt wealthy politicians who do very little work for a large sum of money , make decisons on your worth for any type of happiness, is what upsets me.

Food, the same old usually but worse.

The price increases in order for the company's bounuses are effecting even family's that should be secure financially.

It seems that a business isn't going well unless there's a record high increase in profit and bonus structure.

Are business owners in the corporate level any different from the politicians that take from the poor and into the private sector and pockets of the secure narcissistic privilege and politicians?

Government should redesign the healthcare system for allowing patients to access into healthcare service better as there were a long queue to get an appointment. Besides this have to invest heavily into policing system to uproot crime, violence, mugging and harassment on the street, home, office or in public places.

Why did the Conservatives fast track £millions of contracts for PPE to peers who created businesses that were only 3 weeks old in lockdowns, whilst low income families had to use foodbanks?

Michelle Mone infamously made profits from faulty PPE and disappeared.

Why were you accepting of some people including the elderly, disabled and children struggle to put food on the table yet hand out £millions to your friends. Is this not corruption?

Lots of news filled with the Philip Schofield scandal. Yet so many forgot he is friends with the Tories and the Tories need a distraction in the news from the Covid inquiry.

The Scottish Government, provided all 32 Scottish Councils with a Cost Of Living fund at end of 2022.

I saw via social media that other Scottish Councils were dispensing £150 gift cards to low income households who meet the criteria of being in receipt of housing benefit. There was anger from both those who received, as the card could only be used in certain retail outlets and cafes, not budget supermarkets; and others who claimed their taxes paid for "wasters and drug abusers" to get another entitlement.

Nothing was mentioned in social media or Internet searches of Aberdeenshire Council having this fund.

I contacted all local councillors, of which one replied (SNP). Yes the council had the fund, which the councillor claims she was unaware of until I contacted her. She said she would look into how it was to be dispensed. It took 3 months and 2 delays for the council to post out 12,000 gift cards with the value of £100 to low income households.

The shops that accepted the card were mostly tourist gift shops, although a budget chemist and small supermarket in the area accepted it.

The next issue was, these shops, could not yet accept the gift cards due to the council had not connected the online payment program yet.

This caused stress and embarrassment to many who filled their trolley with groceries and had to put them back on shelves.

No councillor can justify why every other council dispensed £150 per household whilst they dispensed £100. 12,000 x £50 = £600,000.

Where has the rest of the fund gone to?

This is the same Conservative led council that cannot account for £5.2 million spending to the auditors.

The same Conservative led council who the local community are asking how a promised £1.4 million extension and refurbishment of a leisure centre, tuned into a £300,000 disabled toilet in the run down leisure centre with damp growing on the walls from the swimming pool in it.

On the topic of valid voting ID, my Mum tells me the taxi driver told her she couldn't use her bus pass when voting at next week's local elections.

I checked online and this is of course wrong, she can use it. Also her driving licence is listed there as valid even if it has expired.

It strikes me the governments main agenda is to divide communities by creating discontent. From where I sit all I see is the country is in crisis mode, people are attacking each other rather than pulling together, you cannot get a face to face GP appointment, ambulance waiting times are astronomical, poverty is hitting it's all time highest in decades whilst the people tasked with running the show behave like mafia gangsters robbing the country blind whilst gagging the media etc.

I'm sorry to say I'll only be watching the forthcoming coronation to see what exactly the rich are spending tax payers money on and who only knows why on earth we truly need a multi million pound alert system.... or to that matter, half the covid nonsense that good money was wasted on. As per usual we're being fed a bunch of government lies and spin, to convince the vast majority of the British public they need to do what they are told.

I seriously dread to think that the figures are right when I hear 96% of the people, who do actually need ID to vote , haven't bothered to get it. I've completely had it with this mess we're all in. Beam me up Scotty!!!

I've just received an email from an organisation called 'Change. Org' entitled: 'Increase in Universal Credit to match the increase in inflation', it will be really interesting to see how this petition takes off, especially in terms of how many people across the nation are either 'for' or 'against' Universal Credit being increased.

Basically one last thing to mention, the government are really scraping the bottom of the barrel here...

Next it's. "Children up chimneys" !!! Sanctioned if they come down too soon.