And while there is a cause for optimism in some respects, in other areas things are getting worse.
It is just one of many depressing stories McGowan has to illustrate how hard the cost-of-living crisis has been hitting people over recent months. Last year, the charity handled 228,301 calls for help, an increase of 19.5 per cent compared with 2021. The number of first-time callers increased by 24 per cent last year with food shortages, high energy bills, education bills and the cost of household goods the most common reasons for people to seek help.
Irish Times columnist Jen Hogan’s bill was worse than most. At the start of the week she opened the gas bill covering the period from November 26th to January 28th and was horrified to see that it was €1,186.22. When Irish Times columnist Jen Hogan opened her bill, she couldn’t believe it:"I was knocked for six. My first thought was that it couldn’t be right." Photograph: Bryan O'Brien
What the fuck are you talking about? Been prevalent for over 6 months already