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This year, UK households could suffer the biggest annual decline in their living standards since the 1950s.

With inflation already at the highest rate for 30 years, many people now have to prioritise food and bills over buying furniture, beds and things like fridges and washing machines.

In this clip, Â鶹Éç Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour presenter Jessica Creighton speaks to ‘April’, who describes her experience of furniture poverty after escaping an abusive relationship. 'April' was provided with unfurnished accommodation by the council where she now lives with her two children - one of whom has extra needs.

A government spokesperson from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "We know this has been a challenging time for many people, which is why we’re providing support worth around £12bn this financial year and next, to help households with the cost of living.

"This includes putting an average of £1,000 more per year into the pockets of working families via changes to Universal Credit, boosting the minimum wage by more than £1000 a year for full-time workers and our £500 million household support fund, which helps the most vulnerable with essential costs this winter.

"We are also giving councils the resources they need to maintain and improve their services, with an additional £3.5 billion being made available for 2022/23."

To listen to the full discussion about furniture poverty, head to Â鶹Éç Sounds and listen to the Â鶹Éç Radio 4 Woman's Hour episode from 1 March.

If you're affected by any of the issues in this clip, head to the Â鶹Éç Action Line website.

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