‘Families surviving on fridge of scraps’

Families living hand-to-mouth are surviving on fridge scraps the day before dole payments arrive.

“Wednesday is the worst day of the week in our house, Waiting Day we call it,” one mother of three told Barnardos for its latest report. She is living in social housing and supporting two of her children.

“Whatever is in the fridge and left from last week’s shopping gets thrown together for dinner, and that’s it. It’s degrading knowing that I can’t give my children a decent dinner that day as I have no money and just survive till the dole comes through.”