Cost of living: 'I fled Ukraine with my children - only to struggle with the cost of living in Scotland'

A Ukrainian family who fled to Scotland say they are struggling to afford heating bills or healthy food due to the cost of living crisis.

Alla Zubenko came to Glasgow with her children following Russia’s invasion of her homeland in 2022.

But the mum says she is finding it difficult to cope in the current volatile economic climate.

“We couldn’t afford the bills, the costs were too high, and we also struggled with food,” Alla told STV News. “We wanted to eat healthy food, but cooking every day costs so much.

“The flat was freezing. It was costing me hundreds of pounds a month, and the flat was still cold.

“We tried to get used to the cold weather in the flat. But we couldn’t take showers because the flat was so cold once you got out.”

Alla is being supported by The Wise Group, who help more than 50,000 households every year to escape poverty.

But the cost of living crisis has made that even more challenging.

“I can tell you that the cost of living crisis hasn’t gone away,” said Hamish Robertson, the charity’s data and insights director.

“I think as a society, we try to treat each issue in a box. We treat energy debt in one box, unemployment, education and health all in their own boxes. But actually, the richer set of analysis is looking at the interconnectedness of these.”

Hamish added that families often have a complex range of issues that are all connected.

“In every household we go into we ask them what their needs are. What that shows us is that they have an average of seven issues at any given time.

“So most people who present to us with energy needs also have others; 86% have an issue with financial instability, 75% have an issue with mental wellbeing, 73% of them have an issue with housing stability or basic needs and more than half have challenges with low self-esteem or confidence.”

Nine out of ten people who spoke to The Wise Group told them they needed help “navigating the system”.

That’s where mentors step in to offer additional tailored support.

Yuri, who mentors Alla and her family, said: “When we start our work, we always discuss how we can give them a sustainable life in the future.

“When we work with families, we try to teach them how to work with their local communities, how to get help and how to ask for help.

“We try to work with them to develop their confidence, their mental health, and to try and find help with jobs and advice. But even when we work with people and they have a job, they are struggling, costs are so high right now.”