AS EMMA lies in bed at night she is unable to sleep, she's hungry after only eating bread and cheese and having no money left after bills. The xx-year-old, who lives in Birmingham, went from a £50,000 a year software job to living on £600 a month in benefits after getting made redundant from her job last August.
![[Portrait of a person with long blonde hair wearing glasses and a beige sweater.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20250116_110408.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Despite having over three decades of experience, Emma struggled to find work and was left with no choice but to apply for benefits. She is thousands of pounds in debt as she struggles to keep up with bills. She owes £2,000 to her private landlord, after the rent was raised on her three-bed house, where she lives alone, from £750 to £995 a month 14 months ago.
Emma faced being homeless last year when she was issued a Section 21 notice from her landlord. The eviction notice can be issued for a number of reasons, including not paying rent or if the owner wants to sell the property. "There were times when I could not sleep at night..I was restless [and] I couldn't focus really much on the job hunt.".
"I had this thing really burning in my mind and it was stressful.". Since losing her job she's struggled to keep up with her rent payments, as her benefits do not cover the full cost. "I don't have a bank of mum and dad...I do have other friends and family, but I don't want to rely on them, because they've got their own financial issues and needs," she told The Sun.
