A MAN has told the Tribune he will be forced to confine himself to his living room this winter as Universal Credit is cut and energy prices rise.

Ozzy Hassan is a volunteer at the Ringcross Community Centre Food Bank (RCFB) and relies on Universal Credit (UC) to make ends meet.

The government is pushing ahead with removing a £20 uplift to UC that was added at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in recognition of the hardships people were facing due to Covid.

The cut came into force on Wednesday and Mr Hassan is now living on less than £400 a month.

“That’s for four weeks, and you have to pay all your bills first before you do any shopping. The gas is going up, the electric is going up, the rent’s going up,” said Mr Hassan.

Over winter, Mr Hassan – like millions of others across the country – said he will not be able to adequately warm his home.

“It’s so sad,” Mr Hassan said. “I’ll get a heater and close off the kitchen and the bathroom so that it’s just me and the cat in the living room. I can’t warm up the whole flat, it costs too much money.”

Lindsey Wylie, founder of the Alexandra Wylie Tower Foundation and RCFB organiser, said: “The choice becomes: do you buy food or do you heat your house?

“It’s frightening how many people aren’t managing to make ends meet, who are having to choose between food and heating. It’s frightening how many people are missing meals.”

Last week the government announced a £500m support fund to help people struggling to “afford the essentials”.

The fund will provide “small grants to meet daily needs such as food, clothing and ­utilities,” a government press release said.

But Mr Hassan said: “They said it’s a one-off winter grant. When it’s freezing outside, how are you supposed to cover the whole winter? It’s impossible.

“I’m struggling, but I feel sorry for the people who have got families because they’ll be struggling even more. It means the food bank will get busier because they’ve got nowhere to turn to.”

Ms Wiley said: “People are looking at the coming winter with a lot of fear and uncertainty. We’re definitely going to need a lot of generosity in the months ahead.”