Before the appalling murders of Elinor O'Brien, Regan Tierney and Jessica Patel, a similar pattern had been emerging behind closed doors.
'I spent a day at the place you call if you're in debt. It was truly harrowing'
26.02.2023 - 22:23 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Hooked up to a headset in a call room where the phone line doesn't stop, Freya picks up a call from a desperate mum who says she doesn't know how to keep her child safe.
The parent tells the operator her daughter's medication has to be stored in a fridge, but she doesn't have the cash to top up the electricity on her prepayment meter.
Freya offers the woman a fuel voucher, and general advice about how she can manage her debt, but she knows it won't be enough to stop the terrifying situation happening again.
READ MORE: The Greater Manchester people being hit with a £25-a-day 'nightmare'
The mother's heartbreaking situation is just one example of the type of calls answered by Manchester's Citizens Advice energy and money helpline, as more people find themselves crippled by the cost of living crisis.
Freya's colleagues have already taken a call from a man who talks about ending his life so that his debt issues will 'go away.' Another caller says they feel like a terrible parent, because they can't afford to keep their children warm.
It comes as the organisation, based in Manchester city centre, warn they are seeing an 'unprecedented' demand for their services, far outweighing anything seen during the pandemic.
In the last year, the number of people the service has helped with an energy issue has risen by 144 per cent - and it doesn't appear to be letting up. As the energy price cap is set to rise again in April, bosses fear what they are seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg.
When the M.E.N visited the Citizen's Advice 'triage' call room, the phone rings off the hook. Here, advisers will sign post desperate callers to the correct services - which focus on debt, energy bills, housing and benefits.
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