The former bus driver of Rawtenstall said despite his best efforts to find work he will have to go into debt just to survive and feed himself.

He also feared losing his flat and becoming homeless because he was expected to pay his bills with "nothing".

It comes as the cost of living in the UK increased at its fastest rate for four decades as soaring bills put millions of households into poverty and more under further financial pressure.

A large portion of the rise was due to the price cap on energy bills, which was hiked by 54 per cent for the average household at the start of the month, while energy firms rack up billions of pound in profit.

Against this backdrop, the Lancashire Telegraph today launched its Your Money Matters campaign to help readers make ends meet.

Phabian who will turn 29 this week, said: “I lost my job over a month ago due to redundancy.

'I applied for 86 jobs in a month and still can't find work'

"I applied for Jobseekers Allowance and have applied for more than 86 different positions in this time. So far, I have yet to receive an actual job.

“I've have not had a single payment for over five weeks; my last 'full' wage was only £120, woefully short of what I'm entitled to, and just days ago the Job Centre told me I'm not eligible for any help or support as I'm 'in receipt' of payments of between £800-£1,000 according to their computer systems."

This money was Phabian's own wage and he was over the threshold by £41.

Phabian has been working since he was 21 and was in his present role for six years.

He said: “I now have only £31 to my name.

"I will not be eligible for a payment from them until July 2022. Three months is a long time as things can change in a week for people in my position. As you still have to pay your rent and bills.

“There is no financial support available from my local council or Citizens Advice, yet I'm expected to pay my rent, my council tax, my phone bill, pay for shopping and my car tax, petrol and gas and electric.

“On top of this I have to attend a job interview on the Saturday in Salford, Manchester. This, the Job Centre has refused to help support.

"The job centre expect me go and find a job. I want to go out job hunting but at this stage how on earth am I expect to get there?

"I have no ability to get to the interview.

"I have applied for many different roles including working in a warehouse and have not been successful.

"There must be so many more people like me."

Phabian said his only alternative was to go into overdraft, something he knows he will never be in a position to get out of.

“I already have an unplanned overdraft somehow continue to live in my flat alone with no family or friends to support me.

“It’s an absolute outrage the powers in control are simply refusing to help me in a position I've not asked to be in. Yet I'm still expected to pay what's outstanding somehow.

“I have no choice but to apply for an overdraft on my account and hope this will cover my costs, otherwise I'll be forced to cancel this job interview and remain with the Job Centre for another two months waiting on them to make me 'eligible' for a payment.

“By the time it will be due I'll be so far in debt I'll never lift myself out of it on Jobseekers Allowance and could potentially be left homeless and jobless a lot longer.

“This is all because the 'system' says I'm not entitled to any government funding due to my circumstances.”

He pleaded for more help for genuine hard-working people who were trying their best to survive and stay afloat.

“What am I expected to do? Just survive on nothing but still expect to pay bills and live off air?

“I've been left in a position I cannot control, despite my best efforts to find work as quickly as possible, the powers in control are forcing me to remain in this situation because of the 'wages' I WAS receiving.

“It’s an outrage and they need to be outed what they are doing to people in my position.

“They are playing God with people's lives and abilities to work and its backfiring on us, the actual hard workers.

“I have literally no idea how I will go forward this month, I am at a complete loss.

“I genuinely don’t know how I am going through the next two months.”

StepChange Debt Charity said the surging cost of living was among the most common reasons people with financial struggles are giving for their debts.

Wider survey data commissioned from YouGov by the charity in March found 24 per cent of people were worried about inflation and felt they were likely to go into debt as a result but would be able to cope, while 11 per cent felt they were likely to incur debt that they would not be able to repay.

StepChange director of external affairs, Richard Lane, said: “We need to see targeted support specifically aimed at those households whose budgets don’t have the bandwidth to absorb higher costs – such as people on low incomes and relying on social security for some or all of their income, and those with vulnerabilities that mean they have specific needs and cannot cut their spending in areas such as energy or food.

“These groups are already over-represented among those experiencing problem debt, and there is no time to lose if their financial situation is to be prevented from worsening drastically over the coming months.”