A North East pensioner has said he is dreading winter after government fuel payments were scrapped.

It comes as 11.8 million people in the UK say they don't have enough money to live on, according to a new report from Christians Against Poverty.

They say their clients are £ 273 a month short of what they need to be able to cover their basics such as food, energy bills and rent.

Simon Moss, a 70-year-old retired customer service assistant from Sunderland, says he is facing a harsh winter ahead in his cold housing association bungalow.  

Simon, from Sunderland, said: “Life is a struggle, I never go out and hardly ever drink anymore.

"I'm scared for the winter.” 

Simon Moss, from Sunderland.Simon Moss, from Sunderland. (Image: SWNS)

"Last year, it was freezing," he added. "I wasn’t putting the heating on unless I absolutely had to. 

“I was barely using it, and if we get a cold winter this year, I’m dreading it." 

He feels particularly frustrated by the government's withdrawal of support for pensioners, especially those with the lowest incomes.  

 "I'm not being greedy, but I do think that this withdrawal of support for pensioners is wrong.

"I feel that we’re not taken into consideration at all—they don't care."

Christians Against Poverty CEO, Stewart McCulloch, said, “This new report shows the brutal reality of living with a deficit budget.

Simon Moss.Simon Moss. (Image: SWNS)

“Our expert debt advisors, alongside local churches we partner with, are continuing to help thousands of people across the UK to become debt-free.

“11 million people living lives of hidden desperation is utterly unacceptable. We can’t afford the welfare and health costs of this tragedy. We are all affected by the strains this puts on our society. The time has come to act."

A few years ago, Simon found himself in a difficult financial situation and sought help from Christians Against Poverty (CAP) after being referred by Gentoo Housing.  

With the assistance of his CAP Debt Centre Manager, Simon was able to go debt-free through a Debt Relief Order. 

However, despite this relief, managing his finances remains a constant struggle. 

Simon says his pension from various jobs in retail plus his state pension narrowly tips him over the edge of the threshold to not get the winter fuel allowance. It was scrapped for 10 million pensioners by the Labour government. 

CAP, which runs over 200 debt centres across the UK and supports thousands of people each year says almost 50 per cent of their clients have a ‘deficit budget’ - where their income leaves them unable to afford essential items. 
 
CAP said: “We can see that chronically low incomes are devastating the lives of millions of people across the UK - damaging people’s wellbeing, affecting families and impacting health and welfare services.” 

According to CAP 11.8 million (22%) of UK adults have a deficit budget and their clients on average are £273 a month short of what they need to be able to cover basics such as food, energy bills, and rent. 

Simon's weekly income is around £219 but even this modest amount isn't enough to cover all his expenses without making significant sacrifices. 

Simon said: "I've learned over the past few months to cancel everything I used to have — no Sky TV, just Freeview, and I hardly ever go out or drink anymore. 

“I've had to give up smoking, which I guess is one good thing." 

Simon’s lifestyle now is stripped of luxuries — no holidays, no treats and he describes his existence as "living hand to mouth each day".  

“It’s a case of constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul," he said. 

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Simon’s financial woes are compounded by his need to support his son and daughter-in-law - who are both also on Universal Credit and are not working. 

Despite his own limited means, he tries to help them out when he can.  

His own rent, after housing benefit, is £60 per week, and he has to be extremely careful with his food budget, shopping only once a month and strictly sticking to a shopping list.  

Adding to his stress, Simon is currently involved in a dispute with the council over council tax payments as he’s been struggling to keep up with the direct debit payments. 

He said: "I'm one of millions who are overlooked and forgotten every day in lots of local government and Westminster government decisions.”