According to a new UCU report, more than eight in 10 college workers in England say their financial situation is harming their mental health. The report, ‘On the breadline: The cost of living for England’s college workers,’ is based on a survey of over 2,700 workers from more than 200 colleges across the country.
The findings revealed that 80% of staff are more financially insecure than they were a year ago, and more than four in five say that their lack of financial security is impacting their mental health.
‘It has got to an untenable position where I can no longer stay in my current job as I can no longer afford to work there, even though I’m a full time teacher. I have exhausted all savings. I can’t buy a house, as my salary doesn’t cover me to get a mortgage for a single room flat let alone a house,’ one of the respondents said.
‘Hand to mouth’
One person wrote that there were living ‘hand to mouth,’ whilst another spoke about having to find a cleaning job that pays cash in hand to make ends meet.
42% of respondents said that their income does not cover the cost of living, with almost two thirds of these people saying they heat their homes less frequently and 25% saying they are skipping meals.
Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said: ‘As the government falls apart, the college staff responsible for delivering what remains of its levelling up agenda are saying they cannot afford to stay in further education. With seven in ten pledging to leave their jobs if pay and working conditions continue to be eroded it is clear that the future of the entire sector is under threat.’
‘It is beyond scandalous that dedicated college staff are being forced to skip meals and ration hot water and heating because their low pay has left them completely exposed to this cost of living crisis. Employers who have driven down pay for over a decade should hang their heads in shame,’ Grady continued.