When Caitlin felt the soles of her trainers start to peel away, she refused to throw them out. It would only cost around £10 to buy a new pair, but she couldn’t bring herself to part with the cash.
‘All the money I made went on my daughter,’ the 25-year-old tells Metro. ‘She was growing so fast and needed nappies and new clothes, I had to focus on what she needed.’
Caitlin had become pregnant at 18, just after she’d just finished an apprenticeship at a community centre near her home in the West Midlands. She found herself alone in a one-bedroom flat with her young child.
With daycare fees so high, it was difficult to find employment which balanced out the cost. Whenever Caitlin’s mum – who had also been a single parent – was able to look after her daughter, then the younger woman would work non-stop.
‘I would be at a chip shop during the day then work at a nightclub at night,’ Caitlin says. ‘I don’t know how I kept going, I wasn’t sleeping at all those days. I’d be at the chip shop between 10am and 9.30pm, then start my nightclub shift at 10pm.’
Caitlin’s mum couldn’t look after her grand-daughter as much once the older woman got a job at a care home. As a result, a difficult decision had to be made.
‘I had to leave both jobs as there was no other choice,’ Caitlin explains. ‘It was just me on my own, trying to make ends meet. My shoes would wear out after being on my feet all day but I wouldn’t buy a new pair, even if they were just £10. We couldn’t put the gas or electricity on and I skipped meals to make sure my daughter could eat.
‘In winter, I’d go to my mums on the weekend to stay warm and then when Child Benefit came in on the Monday then that would keep us going.’
As shocking as her story is, Caitlin’s struggles won’t be a surprise to many people her age. New research, released today by The Prince’s Trust, has revealed the nightmare faced by the young generation already battered by years of austerity, the Covid pandemic and now the cost of living crisis.
The new data in conjunction with LADbible Group surveyed 2,098 people between the age of 18 and 34, and found that 44% have had to juggle multiple jobs at some point to achieve financial stability. Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) are currently working more than one. They do this to make ends meet (35%) and to support their family financially (33%) the researchers found.
The survey also found that young people – particularly if they live in social housing – are spending less and less time with their families and friends and neglecting travel and hobbies.
Feelings of frustration, anxiety and despair at not being able to make ends meet despite working highlights that 18-34-year-olds are not getting enough support, explains Arainu Afeldt, head of employability at The Prince’s Trust.
She says: ‘Financial security, perhaps more now than ever, is of upmost importance for young people as they embark upon their careers, and this research highlights the price they are willing to pay in search of it.
‘This research demonstrates young people are ambitious and motivated and want to succeed. However, it’s crucial they are offered the support they need to be able to achieve their goals without being detrimental to their mental health and wellbeing. At The Trust, we know that in the longer-term poor mental health can lead to missing work and can create a negative cycle in people’s working lives.’
Young people feel torn, data suggests
The Princes Trust and LADBible found that financial stability is a key consideration for young people when setting their personal goals, with more than a quarter (28%) listing it as a top motivator.
Young people are placing greater emphasis on financial stability than career fulfilment (41%) suggesting they are prioritising their financial needs over career satisfaction.
Over half of young people (57%) also said they felt more pressure to ‘do what you love’, suggesting the prioritisation of financial stability may feel at odds with wider societal influences.
For Caitlin, she felt she’d hit rock bottom when she ‘admitted defeat’ and moved out her flat and into her mum’s house. She had gained some financial security by doing so, but lost her independence and confidence as a result. After a difficult battle with poor mental health, she decided to get back into work after two years unemployed.
But at one JobCentre appointment, Caitlin was pointed towards the Prince’s Trust and the ‘Get Into Health and Social Care’ programme which finds people jobs at the NHS. The young mum secured a healthcare assistant role at her local hospital in January 2024 and hasn’t looked back since. On her first day, Caitlin was too shy to speak to anyone and ‘stood about’ for 40 minutes. Today, she tries to ‘shine like the brightest star’ in whichever room she’s in to make her patients happy.
Caitlin has also moved out of her mum’s house and into a rented flat with her daughter, who is now five-years-old.
‘My first pay check at this job, I was honestly in shock,’ she laughs.
‘It was more money than I’d ever earned before. I’ve been able to get my daughter into after school clubs like gymnastics and swimming, things she’d begged me to let her do. I also take her away some weekends when I’m not working and I’m now able to help my mum with her own rent and food shops. I’m proud of myself, I really am.’
Caitlin hopes to become a nurse and has just put in an application for a training course which would see her promoted from healthcare assistant. She’s optimistic she’ll get a place on the programme.
But even as Caitlin’s confidence grows, she’ll never forget the dark, cold days spent alone in her flat when her world was entirely different to how it is today.
‘The mental health side of that time was really hard,’ she says. ‘I felt like I had no-one. It was really lonely. There were some days where I didn’t want to be here anymore.
‘It’s taken me a while to realise this, but you’re never really alone. It might feel like it some days, but there will always be a day when things change. To anyone else in my situation, I’d say don’t give up on your dreams. I never thought I’d reach this stage, but as soon as the Prince’s Trust came along my life did a complete 360.’
For more information about the work of the Prince’s Trust, click here.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Kirsten.Robertson@metro.co.uk
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