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Mums on a budget

As the Chancellor prepares to tot up the nation's pounds in his Autumn statement, parents on a low income explain how they're counting pennies to sustain their families.

The Chancellor's Autumn Statement is a key moment in the financial year, when the government sets out its plans for tax and spending in the months and years ahead.

There’s a lot at stake, and many decisions will have a particularly sharp impact for those who live in low-income households, estimated to be 13% of the population.

A long-term academic research project called Changing Realities has been documenting the lives of parents who struggle to support their families and who consider the welfare payments they receive to be a lifeline.

In this episode of our 5 Minutes On podcast, three parents involved in the project have been telling the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Cost of Living Correspondent Colletta Smith what they think Jeremy Hunt's priorities for the Autumn Statement should be.

(Image: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½)

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5 minutes