Each page of the calendar pinned to the wall in Rebecca Killaway’s living room is filled with notes and highlights—some for her, some for her 10-year-old daughter. Most of the entries are written in blue ink, and each details work shifts. Sometimes there are three trips written in one day.
Killaway Waitress, Deputy and Cleaning Owner. When she’s not working, the single mother takes care of her 10-year-old daughter.
“It’s quite a challenge,” says the 37-year-old who lives in Norwich, UK. “When I only have one job, I take my day off.”
She says she had to take a few part-time jobs because, as a single mother, she needed work flexibility to fit her daughter’s school commitments and holidays.
He points out that holding multiple jobs also comes at a cost. As a result of her work, she is experiencing a drop in universal credit, the amount the British government pays to help low-wage families.
He calculates: “I should get 1,000 pounds per month (6,100 reais) in universal credit. But because of the work I do, I lose 350 pounds (2,100 reais) immediately on the withholding fee.”
“In one job, I make 360 pounds (2,200 BRL) a month.”
While Kellaway’s monthly earnings vary, they collectively make around £1,030.
But total wages are increasingly being consumed due to the rising cost of living, a phenomenon that affects many families in the UK.
Monthly family expenses include:
- Rent: 360 pounds (2.2 thousand Brazilian reais)
- City tax: 80 EGP (490 BRL)
- Transfer: 73 pounds (450 BRL)
- Electricity: 60 pounds (370 BRL)
- Food: 100 to 120 pounds (610 to 740 R$)
- Babysitter: £5 an hour (R$30) during the day or £9 (~$55) at night
It is estimated that the largest increase in prices occurred in foodstuffs.
“It’s the little things — like grocery shopping, which increased by about a pound per item. And in doing so, the values add up and go up.”
She reported that she usually goes to markets where the total amount can be calculated during purchase, before reaching the cashier. It is thus able to return items if the budget is higher than what it had been required to spend.
“To survive, I need a long-term plan that will let me know what I’m doing for the month to the last penny.”
Kellaway says it is doing its best to keep costs down.
Wash the dishes once every three days to limit the amount of hot water you use. The woman also says that she thinks a lot every time she feels the craving for a cup of tea, because of the cost of electricity to boil water in the kettle. Clothes are dried naturally in the middle of the room without the use of appliances.
“The stress of worrying about jobs and chores and continuing to be a single mother is excessive.”
Last year, Kellaway gave up everything to pay for her daughter’s 10th birthday party.
The celebration, which took place in the trampoline park, was exactly what the girl wanted.
But the £300 expense means Kellaway can’t afford a big gift.
“I had to say the party was her gift,” he recalls. “My daughter was so understanding that I even found some money to buy something smaller.”
“But that’s a really bad thing to say to a kid — that you, as a parent, can’t buy something because you spent all your money on a party. It doesn’t have to be like that.”
Kellaway had wanted to go on vacation, but says the day was “a dream.”
“I don’t think I can buy clothes or a new pair of shoes because I know the food money is out and the leftovers can be used for something for my daughter.”
“I don’t remember the last time I went to a supermarket and bought what I wanted without doing the math along the way.”
“If, after working all these hours, you don’t have enough money in your bank account to buy anything you want, something is wrong.”
“It’s really hard for a kid to ask if they can buy a magazine, and you have to say no.”
“Everyday life is very expensive and frustrating,” he says.
Even in the face of all the odds, Killaway says he loves to work.
“And I’m stuck in low-paying jobs,” he points out.
A mattress on a chair in the living room is a painted portrait of Killaway. It was a gift she received from an artist with MS, who is caring for her.
“Being a caregiver is a very important job. You have to be able to support someone who needs you, even if it’s for minimum wage.”
But what would Killaway do if given a magic wand?
He states, “I will accept the universal credit discount rate so that people get more. I will also properly support childcare and put a lot of money into schools to pay for breakfast and extracurricular courses after school.”
“There is an idea that people are absorbed in waiting for benefits. But we want to go out to work and get a decent salary.”
Kellaway hopes to take courses to become a psychotherapist in the future.
She started studying last year, but the demands of work and motherhood made education impossible at this point in her life.
The woman wants to resume studies in the future, when her daughter is a little older.
“I keep myself happy and busy as much as possible,” she says.
“But when my daughter sleeps, I get frustrated and very tired.”
The UK Department of Work and Pensions has stated that it is “committed to supporting families and appreciating work”.
“This is why we have reduced the overall credit relief rate and increased the working allowance by £500 per year,” an agency spokesperson said.
“This is an actual tax cut for low-income earners, worth £1.9 billion in 2022. It also means that 1.7 million households with universal credit have £1,000 more than they earn.”
– This text was published in https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-63398062
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