A window fitter has had to take out a £10,000 loan to buy a new van – he lives just a few feet outside Sadiq Khan’s ultra-low emission zone.
Ian Palm, 47, was unable to take advantage of a scrapping scheme to upgrade his 2008 Vauxhall Vivaro.
The self-employed father of three lives on his side of the street just outside London, so is not eligible and has to bear the full cost himself.
He said repaying his £200 a month loan meant he had to postpone hip surgery and holiday plans.
Ian said: “We were completely devastated financially by this. There is no other way to look at it.
We’ve already been feeling the pinch on every aspect of the cost-of-living crisis. Then Mayor Sadiq Khan comes up with such a stupid idea.
Ian lives in a road on the border between Kent and London.
Those on one side of the street are in the Bexley borough and can benefit from a grant of up to £9,500.
But he is on the Dartford side and cannot claim the money.
He is also believed to have made £2,000 less than he should have from selling his old van because it was not up to Ulez standards.
Ian, who is married to teaching assistant Andrea, said: “I was only there for 18 months. There was nothing wrong with it.
“We hadn’t had a holiday in a few years, so we saved some money, but then Ollie’s started working and it was either a holiday or a new truck.
“It has had a huge impact on my health as well. I am waiting for a total hip replacement because my hip joint is deformed. Walking every day is painful now.”