00:07 Mattea
Data about young women is missing on unemployment and benefits, and so are our voices.
00:13 Iulia
We have found that an estimated 1.5 million young women have lost income since the start of the pandemic.
00:19 Ashleeka
Unsurprisingly, there has been an increase in young women applying for Universal Credit.
00:24 Freya
My experience with Universal Credit is that the 4 week wait is too long and it’s not enough to get by. And speaking from experience the 20 pound uplift has been such a lifeline and without it, it would have been so much more difficult to balance everything.
00:37 Mattea
Almost a third of young women say that it’s a real struggle to make cash last until the end of the month. This was even higher for disabled young women at 44%.
00:47 Freya
Many young women are struggling, having to skip meals to make ends meet.
00:50 Iulia
Young women I’ve spoken with have either been made redundant, have lost hours at work, or have been put on furlough. This has also affected me. At the beginning of the pandemic I had a full time job. In May I was put on furlough for the next 6 months and afterwards I was made redundant.
01:08 Freya
Rising costs of being at home all the time have meant that utilities and expenses are much more expensive. This is pushing many women into poverty and many are having to make difficult choices.
01:18 Ashleeka
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ENDS.
