Good afternoon. Welcome back to Survival Guide. I’m Isabella McRae.

Today is local election day across England and it’s important to get to the polling station to have your say on issues that matter to you and your community. Councils play a big role in deciding what cost of living support is available in your local area so it could really make a difference.

It’s also the day that London, Manchester and others decide their next mayor, and the Big Issue was recently given an exclusive interview with Sadiq Khan. 

Following on from our reporting on the rise in shoplifting in the cost of living crisis, our deputy digital editor Sophia Alexandra Hall asked him what he would do if he saw someone stealing nappies. Find out his answer by reading on.

Sophia also chatted to Count Binface – the satirical candidate for mayor who quite literally wears a bin to cover his face – and he said: "Whether people vote for me or anybody else, I'm more interested in the idea that people vote at all, because democracy is a very precious thing."

Also in this week’s newsletter, we meet Rob, a taxi driver who believes he will never be able to retire because his pension is not stretching far enough against the cost of living.

If you have a story to share, we want to listen. Get in touch at isabella.mcrae@bigissue.com or share your story here.

Rob’s story: ‘I'm 67 and working as a cabby. Rent and cost of living means I'll never be able to retire’

Rob Trewhella should be retired but he works as a taxi driver around the scenic Penzance coastline because the cost of private renting risks driving him into poverty.

The 67-year-old has been a cabby for a year after realising he would be living on between £6 and £15 a month if he wasn’t topping up his income with taxi fares.

Local housing pressures in Cornwall from holiday homes and short-term lets are adding to the record-high rents being seen around the UK and, for people like Rob, the impact of the housing crisis is postponing retirement.

“I’m very lucky that I’m able to work but there are an awful lot of people who aren’t that lucky,” Rob says. “It’s scary being in this situation. 

“If I could get into a housing association property I could save myself a couple of hundred quid a month so that could potentially be the time that I could retire. I was lucky to find where I am now but it still took six months of trawling around.”

Read Rob’s story.

In case you missed it

DWP crackdown on disability benefits is already causing 'unimaginable terror', MPs warn. Meanwhile, charities have said that the plans should be 'consigned to the shredder'. Read about what MPs said, charities’ outcry and we explain the proposals here.

Number of homeless children in England at a record high: 'This needs to be a wake-up call'. Homelessness charities ask: 'How many more records do we have to break before action is taken?' Get the story.

Rough sleeping in London up 33% in a year: 'This is a national scandal'. A total of 4,118 people were spotted sleeping rough on London’s streets between January and March. Frontline charities say politicians must tackle homelessness. Read about it.

We must spend time on eradicating poverty – not trying to accommodate it, says Big Issue founder. Millions of children are 'inheriting poverty', Big Issue founder John Bird has warned, calling on the government to tackle destitution. Read more.

Humza Yousaf has resigned – but rent controls 'can't be allowed to go with him', campaigners say. Campaigners for rent reforms have warned it must not derail long-term commitments to deliver rent controls in Scotland. Get their thoughts.

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London mayor Sadiq Khan: 'What would I do if I saw someone stealing nappies? Take my wallet out and pay'

The Big Issue asked mayor of London Sadiq Khan what he would do if he saw someone stealing nappies in an exclusive interview – and his answer sparked huge reaction on social media and from other news publications. 

“In the hypothetical case, I suspect I’ll take my wallet out and I would pay for it,” he remarked.

Laurence Guinness, chief executive of the Childhood Trust, said Sadiq Khan’s answer didn’t address systemic issues, but he agreed criminalisation isn’t the answer.

He said: “With food banks and charities running out of food due to demand, many families are going hungry and resorting to shoplifting food to keep their children from starving.

“While policing resources require improvement, for families on very low or no incomes because they are unable to work we need additional food aid, not criminalisation.”

As polling stations open for local elections and Khan is set to find out whether he will keep his role as London mayor, read more here.

The next mayor also has a big job ahead of them to eradicate rough sleeping in the capital, which you can read about here.

And get our interview with Count Binface here.

Saving those coins: How to know if you could be eligible for benefits

Just under £23bn in benefits goes unclaimed each year, according to recent research by Policy in Practice. That’s often because people don’t know about them, can’t access them and because of the stigma around asking for help.

Although benefits are not stretching far enough, they are often a lifeline.

You are far from alone if you are struggling in the cost of living crisis. It has gone on for far too long and our bills are still going up. April came along with increases in council tax, water and broadband bills.

Here, we have rounded up everything you need to know about benefits you can claim in May 2024 – and where to get help if that’s not enough.