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| Cost of Living: The Norwich mother working five jobs to make ends meet | Cost of Living: The Norwich mother working five jobs to make ends meet |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Rebecca Kellaway has a waitressing job, a caring job and three cleaning roles | Rebecca Kellaway has a waitressing job, a caring job and three cleaning roles |
| Each page of the calendar on Rebecca Kellaway's living room wall is full of highlighted entries - some for her, some for her 10-year-old daughter. The bulk of the entries are in blue, each one denoting one of Ms Kellaway's shifts. Sometimes there are three shift entries per day. | |
| Rebecca Kellaway is a waitress. And a carer. And a cleaner. And, when she is not going to work, she is a lone parent to her 10-year-old daughter. | Rebecca Kellaway is a waitress. And a carer. And a cleaner. And, when she is not going to work, she is a lone parent to her 10-year-old daughter. |
| "It is a real struggle," the 37-year-old, who lives and works in Norwich, says. "I call the days when I only have one paid job my days off." | "It is a real struggle," the 37-year-old, who lives and works in Norwich, says. "I call the days when I only have one paid job my days off." |
| She currently has the main waitressing job, a caring job and three cleaning roles. | She currently has the main waitressing job, a caring job and three cleaning roles. |
| She says she ended up with a handful of part-time jobs because, as a single mother, she needed the working flexibility to fit around her daughter's schooling, holidays and the availability of [paid for] childcare. | She says she ended up with a handful of part-time jobs because, as a single mother, she needed the working flexibility to fit around her daughter's schooling, holidays and the availability of [paid for] childcare. |
| But her multiple jobs have come at a cost because, she says, of the Universal Credit taper rate, which reduces the amount paid when a claimant earns above their "work allowance". | But her multiple jobs have come at a cost because, she says, of the Universal Credit taper rate, which reduces the amount paid when a claimant earns above their "work allowance". |
| "I should be getting £1,000 [a month] from Universal Credit but because of the jobs I do, I lose £350 on the taper, bam, outright," she says. | "I should be getting £1,000 [a month] from Universal Credit but because of the jobs I do, I lose £350 on the taper, bam, outright," she says. |
| "For one of the jobs I do, I get £360 a month - so it is basically a straight swap [for the money lost through the taper mechanism], gone." | "For one of the jobs I do, I get £360 a month - so it is basically a straight swap [for the money lost through the taper mechanism], gone." |
| Rebecca looks over the month ahead on the family calendar | Rebecca looks over the month ahead on the family calendar |
| While Ms Kellaway's monthly earnings can vary, they collectively pay her about £1,030. | While Ms Kellaway's monthly earnings can vary, they collectively pay her about £1,030. |
| But her earnings are increasingly being eaten up by the rising cost of living. | But her earnings are increasingly being eaten up by the rising cost of living. |
| Her monthly outgoings include: | Her monthly outgoings include: |
| Rent: £360 | Rent: £360 |
| Council tax: £80 | Council tax: £80 |
| Travel: £73 | Travel: £73 |
| Energy: £60 (an agreed reduced rate with her supplier) | Energy: £60 (an agreed reduced rate with her supplier) |
| Food: £100-£120 | Food: £100-£120 |
| Childminder: £5 an hour during the day or £9 during the evening | Childminder: £5 an hour during the day or £9 during the evening |
| The greatest price rises, she says, have been in the cost of food. | The greatest price rises, she says, have been in the cost of food. |
| "It is small things - like food shopping, which has gone up about £1 per item, which soon adds up. | "It is small things - like food shopping, which has gone up about £1 per item, which soon adds up. |
| "I use the scan-as-you go things so you can keep track of it and, before you know it, you are up to £50, and then you have to think about what you are going to put back. | "I use the scan-as-you go things so you can keep track of it and, before you know it, you are up to £50, and then you have to think about what you are going to put back. |
| "What I need to be able to survive is long-term planning, to be able to know what I am doing in a month's time, because everything is budgeted down to the penny." | "What I need to be able to survive is long-term planning, to be able to know what I am doing in a month's time, because everything is budgeted down to the penny." |
| Ms Kellaway says she is doing everything possible to keep her costs down. | Ms Kellaway says she is doing everything possible to keep her costs down. |
| She washes the dishes once every three days to limit the amount of hot water she uses, she thinks hard each time she fancies a cup of tea because of the electricity cost of boiling her kettle and clothes are dried in the middle of the living room rather than in a tumble dryer. | She washes the dishes once every three days to limit the amount of hot water she uses, she thinks hard each time she fancies a cup of tea because of the electricity cost of boiling her kettle and clothes are dried in the middle of the living room rather than in a tumble dryer. |
| "The stress of worrying about all of this, and being a mum, a single mum, and the jobs and the house stuff - it is a lot." | "The stress of worrying about all of this, and being a mum, a single mum, and the jobs and the house stuff - it is a lot." |
| For the past year, Ms Kellaway has been putting whatever she can aside to pay for her daughter's recent 10th birthday party | For the past year, Ms Kellaway has been putting whatever she can aside to pay for her daughter's recent 10th birthday party |
| For the past year, Ms Kellaway has been putting aside whatever she can to pay for her daughter's recent 10th birthday party. | For the past year, Ms Kellaway has been putting aside whatever she can to pay for her daughter's recent 10th birthday party. |
| The party, held at the Gravity trampoline park in Norwich, was exactly what her daughter had wanted. | The party, held at the Gravity trampoline park in Norwich, was exactly what her daughter had wanted. |
| But the £300 cost meant Ms Kellaway could not afford a big present as well. | But the £300 cost meant Ms Kellaway could not afford a big present as well. |
| "I had to say, 'this is your present', and she was really understanding about it and actually I did find some money to get something small," she says. | "I had to say, 'this is your present', and she was really understanding about it and actually I did find some money to get something small," she says. |
| "But that is a really [bad] thing to have to say to a kid - that you can't, as a mum, afford to buy them a present because you've spent all the money on a party. | "But that is a really [bad] thing to have to say to a kid - that you can't, as a mum, afford to buy them a present because you've spent all the money on a party. |
| "It shouldn't be like that." | "It shouldn't be like that." |
| You might also be interested in: | You might also be interested in: |
| 'I would rather feed my dog than myself' | 'I would rather feed my dog than myself' |
| Libraries and churches offer warm rooms this winter | Libraries and churches offer warm rooms this winter |
| Escaping the grid amid the cost of living crisis | Escaping the grid amid the cost of living crisis |
| Ms Kellaway would love to go away on holiday but adds: "It is not really a thing, it is more of a dream. | Ms Kellaway would love to go away on holiday but adds: "It is not really a thing, it is more of a dream. |
| "I find I can't give myself permission for things, like clothes or a new pair of shoes without holes in them because I know that is food money gone or money that my daughter could be using for things she needs. | "I find I can't give myself permission for things, like clothes or a new pair of shoes without holes in them because I know that is food money gone or money that my daughter could be using for things she needs. |
| "I can't remember the last time I went to a supermarket and just bought whatever I felt like without adding it up as I went along. | "I can't remember the last time I went to a supermarket and just bought whatever I felt like without adding it up as I went along. |
| "That's the tell of it all - after working all these hours, if you don't have enough money in your account to go shopping and buy whatever you want to buy, then surely something is wrong? | "That's the tell of it all - after working all these hours, if you don't have enough money in your account to go shopping and buy whatever you want to buy, then surely something is wrong? |
| "It is so hard when your child asks whether they can get a magazine and you have to say 'no'. | "It is so hard when your child asks whether they can get a magazine and you have to say 'no'. |
| "Day-to-day life is just so expensive and it is frustrating. | "Day-to-day life is just so expensive and it is frustrating. |
| "Life is even more expensive when you are in poverty because you can't afford to bulk buy things. | "Life is even more expensive when you are in poverty because you can't afford to bulk buy things. |
| "It is a real trap." | "It is a real trap." |
| One of the people Ms Kellaway cares for is an artist with multiple sclerosis who painted and gifted her a portrait | One of the people Ms Kellaway cares for is an artist with multiple sclerosis who painted and gifted her a portrait |
| And yet Ms Kellaway loves working. | And yet Ms Kellaway loves working. |
| "I'm stuck doing fairly low paid jobs," she says. | "I'm stuck doing fairly low paid jobs," she says. |
| "They are really rewarding but they don't pay a lot." | "They are really rewarding but they don't pay a lot." |
| Sitting on a chair in Ms Kellaway's living room is a painting of her. It was painted for her by one of the people she cares for, an artist with multiple sclerosis. | Sitting on a chair in Ms Kellaway's living room is a painting of her. It was painted for her by one of the people she cares for, an artist with multiple sclerosis. |
| "Care work is such a massively important job, to be able to support somebody who needs it is such a privilege and really, really matters - and yet it is minimum wage." | "Care work is such a massively important job, to be able to support somebody who needs it is such a privilege and really, really matters - and yet it is minimum wage." |
| If Ms Kellaway was given a magic wand, what would she do? | If Ms Kellaway was given a magic wand, what would she do? |
| "I would take away the taper rate so that people get paid for working, subsidise childcare properly and put lots of funding into schools for breakfast and after-school clubs. | "I would take away the taper rate so that people get paid for working, subsidise childcare properly and put lots of funding into schools for breakfast and after-school clubs. |
| "There seems to be this idea that people are just sitting on their bums but we want to be out and earning a decent wage." | "There seems to be this idea that people are just sitting on their bums but we want to be out and earning a decent wage." |
| Ms Kellaway hopes to retrain as a counsellor or psychotherapist in the future. | Ms Kellaway hopes to retrain as a counsellor or psychotherapist in the future. |
| She began studying last year but the demands of work and parenting made it impossible. | She began studying last year but the demands of work and parenting made it impossible. |
| She will, she says, try once again when her daughter is a little older. | She will, she says, try once again when her daughter is a little older. |
| "I keep myself as happy and busy as I can," she says. | "I keep myself as happy and busy as I can," she says. |
| "But then when my daughter asleep yes, it really gets me down. | "But then when my daughter asleep yes, it really gets me down. |
| "I am really, deeply tired." | "I am really, deeply tired." |
| The Department for Work and Pensions said it was "committed to supporting hard-working families and making work pay". | The Department for Work and Pensions said it was "committed to supporting hard-working families and making work pay". |
| A spokesperson said: "That's why we have reduced the Universal Credit taper rate from 63% to 55%, and increased work allowances by £500 per annum. | A spokesperson said: "That's why we have reduced the Universal Credit taper rate from 63% to 55%, and increased work allowances by £500 per annum. |
| "This is effectively a tax cut for the lowest paid in society worth around £1.9 billion this year and it also means we're enabling 1.7 million households on Universal Credit to keep £1,000 more of what they earn." | "This is effectively a tax cut for the lowest paid in society worth around £1.9 billion this year and it also means we're enabling 1.7 million households on Universal Credit to keep £1,000 more of what they earn." |
| Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk | Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk |