SVP says some families are burning rubbish to heat their homes.
Over 4,600 people called the charity last month struggling with crippling costs.
Food and fuel are the main issues for people who are failing to make ends meet.
Speaking to RedFM News, Jason Boyle from SVP in Cork says some families some families are in crisis on the run up to Christmas:
"Cases that I've dealt with recently were a single mother with 2 small kids. out of work and we go into a cold spell and she has to sacrifice. She's either sacrificing for herself for heat, kids wrapped in coats, or she's burning rubbish in fireplaces, and that's the reality of what we're seeing in Cork today."
