As with many in East Sussex, here is where the gratitude ends and anxiety begins. Projects may be detrimental, or at least disruptive, to constituents’ daily lives, and they should be concerned about that. Jenny Barnard, a 77-year-old retired care worker from Farnham, was delighted with the outcome, saying she was especially pleased with the new provisions around pensions. Wearing big glasses and a pink sweater, she appeared deeply sincere as she testified from a list of ways the budget would help her benefit.
At the other end of the province, Chatham resident and Envirosuite environmental marketing consultant Hayden Bloomfield was closely watching this announcement unfold at a round table event in Chatham. He sported a black leather jacket and a matching black scarf, offering insights into how the budget may affect local businesses. Bloomfield admitted that the focus on apprenticeships would be a big help to his company.
“That push toward apprenticeships would be very beneficial for expanding our industry,” he said.
In Eastbourne, Lauren Harper, a mother of four, explained her fears about her family’s cost of living. She worries that, with soaring food prices, that could jeopardize their finances. She expressed what countless families facing the pinch of inflation are feeling right now.
“This is all especially hard during these times right now where the cost of food is just crazy,” commented Harper. It takes a lot of money to feed a family of six.
Lucy Burns, also from Eastbourne and, like her fellow universal credit user, on universal credit, agreed. As a mom to her six kids, or possibly more specifically their stepmom, she noted the burdens created by rising costs of living.
“Everything is so expensive these days – from putting petrol in the car to childcare,” Burns noted. She continued to point out the benefits of free government childcare while acknowledging the additional costs that still burden families.
“Obviously we’re really grateful that we get the free childcare now, but there’s obviously top-ups,” she added.
Support, as Jenny Barnard reiterated, is key during these difficult times.
“It’s good. Everything’s got so expensive, and we all need that bit extra at the moment. Keeping warm is a priority,” she stated.
The initial reaction from our Budget Announcement has received a wide array of responses, as a region that is made up of many different individual experiences. While some residents appreciate the proposed changes, others remain wary about their long-term implications and how they will navigate rising costs in their daily lives.