Caitlin, 25, battled to survive with her five-year-old daughter (Picture: Stock image – Getty Images)
When Caitlin felt the soles of her trainers start to peel away, she refused to throw them out. It would only cost around £10 to buy a new pair, but she couldn’t bring herself to part with the cash.
‘All the money I made went on my daughter,’ the 25-year-old tells Metro. ‘She was growing so fast and needed nappies and new clothes, I had to focus on what she needed.’
Caitlin had become pregnant at 18, just after she’d just finished an apprenticeship at a community centre near her home in the West Midlands.
The relationship with her daughter’s father fell apart shortly after, leaving Caitlin alone in a one-bedroom flat with her young child. With daycare fees so high, it was difficult to find employment which balanced out the cost. Whenever Caitlin’s mum – who had also been a single parent – was able to look after her daughter, then the younger woman would work non-stop.
‘I would be at a chip shop during the day then work at a nightclub at night,’ Caitlin says. ‘I don’t know how I kept going, I wasn’t sleeping at all those days. I’d be at the chip shop between 10am and 9.30pm, then start my nightclub shift at 10pm.’
Caitlin would go from her shift at a chip shop to work at a nightclub (Picture: Getty Images)
Caitlin’s mum couldn’t look after her grand-daughter as much once the older woman got a job at a care home. As a result, a difficult decision had to be made.
‘I had to leave both jobs as there was no other choice,’ Caitlin explains. ‘It was just me on my own, trying to make ends meet. My shoes would wear out after being on my feet all day but I wouldn’t buy a new pair, even if they were just £10. We couldn’t put the gas or electricity on and I skipped meals to make sure my daughter could eat.
‘In winter, I’d go to my mums on the weekend to stay warm and then when Child Benefit came in on the Monday then that would keep us going.’
As shocking as her story is, Caitlin’s struggles won’t be a surprise to many people her age. New research, released today by The Prince’s Trust, has revealed the nightmare faced by the young generation already battered by years of austerity, the Covid pandemic and now the cost of living crisis.
The new data in conjunction with LADbible Group surveyed 2,098 people between the age of 18 and 34, and found that 44% have had to juggle multiple jobs at some point to achieve financial stability. Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) are currently working more than one. They do this to make ends meet (35%) and to support their family financially (33%) the researchers found.
The survey found that young people are making significant personal sacrifices to seek financial security and to …read more
Source:: Metro
