A woman has told how she often works 60-hour weeks across three jobs and even forages for food just to stay above the poverty line.

Amy Hitchcock, 32, is one of many people living on the breadline in the Canterbury district, where deprivation continues to drastically rise – plunging thousands into hardship.

She spoke candidly of her situation following the publication of a damning report that the city council’s leader says “brings tears to the eyes”.

Combining a minimum wage job at a leisure centre with two self-employed roles as a dog walker and a nature tour guide at her own business, Forth and Forage, Ms Hitchcock has told of the struggles she faces.

“In terms of my income I’d say I verge between being in poverty and not, but if I didn’t live this lifestyle I would be in serious poverty,” said the 32-year-old.

“I go foraging, which can be good for families; sometimes there’s not that much fresh produce coming from food banks and food is such a big expense.

“We’ve seen the food bank demand go up, but even then there are more people who could do with it. People can sometimes be a bit embarrassed or proud about it.

“I’m working full-time hours, I haven't been on holiday for six years, I don’t run a car and I forage for food – but it’s still not enough at times.”

According to the official UK government definition, households are considered to be in poverty if they take home 60% below the local median household income after housing costs.

Ms Hitchcock, from Herne Bay, says gathering food in the wild – including blackberries, sea beet and hazelnuts – has been hugely beneficial, helping her cut down on food costs while enjoying fresh produce from woodlands such as Blean or Clowes.

But with a monthly income that can be as low as £1,200 – and rent for her shared property at £700 – her frugal lifestyle has not spared her the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

And what’s more, she is considered ineligible for most types of government help, including Universal Credit.

“Being a good saver on a low income seems to get you nowhere...”

She says private renting opportunities are hard to come by as a result of her employment status and says it feels as if she has "been renting a room forever”.

When asked about possible solutions, she said: “I think it’s a case of having more affordable housing, flats, studios, whatever they are, but ultimately moving it away from private to more council-owned housing.

“30% of new-builds needing to be affordable seems quite low compared to the demand.

“None of it is affordable to me or many other people. It’s easy to say it’s part of living in the south east, but should it be like this?

“I have been rejected time and time again for private rentals, and the last time I checked I was eligible for a mortgage of £80,000, which of course would mean requiring hundreds of thousands as a deposit for a home.

“My entire living situation as an adult has relied on the private rental market, which is extremely competitive and has left me scrambling for somewhere to live at times; being a good saver on a low income seems to get you nowhere.”

Put together by the Canterbury Society, the 25-page long ‘Poverty in Canterbury’ report lays bare some of the eye-opening statistics linked to deprivation across the district.

Research for the comprehensive study found that the number of children living in relative low-income families had risen by 41% between 2014 and 2021.

Emphasis was also placed on the number of children living in poverty in the district – as many as 40% of youngsters in some wards - and the worrying rise in the use of the Canterbury Food Bank.

Between 2019 and 2022, the number of meals provided by Canterbury Food Bank – a mostly volunteer service – rose from little more than 39,000 to a staggering 98,000.

Having begun as a community project in 2011, the food bank has rapidly grown in size, with 185 volunteers assisting the nine part-time staff who provide meals and services for those in need.

David Holt is a trustee for the group and estimates the number of hours worked last year to be 18,000 - the equivalent of 750 days of volunteer work carried out.

Explaining the rise in the need for the food bank, he said: “Just before lockdown we were doing manageable numbers and didn’t really need too much crisis management – Covid has started the exponential rise.

“The cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated what Covid brought and we’ve never really had breathing space since.

“As much as it’s hard for us, it’s harder for the people who need our services. There’s a thousand reasons why people fall into financial need.

“We’re very much more than a sticking plaster and not one person comes to us that isn’t in financial difficulty in the first place, but we aren’t the solution to the problem.”

In his assessment of the situation, the 61-year-old also revealed the food bank is expecting to spend more than £100,000 this year to supplement the donations it receives from supporters.

Reflecting on the report’s findings, new Canterbury City Council leader Alan Baldock – who represents one of Kent’s most deprived wards – admits the numbers represent a huge problem for the authority.

The Labour councillor is the member for Northgate, where more than a third of children are believed to be living in poverty.

He only took the reins of the council last month but has vowed to tackle the social housing issue, acknowledging the need for more resources.

“To hear about the number of children in poverty can bring nothing but tears to the eyes,” he said.

“All of us are united in this; we recognise the huge problem we have and we’re determined to make progress as soon as we can.

“We are always desperately in need of more social housing - that is recognised by this new administration.

“We’re developing an at least 15-year strategy for social housing in Canterbury that we can build from, we’ll take every opportunity we can to get more social housing off the ground.”