Universial Credit

The OP was nasty and judgemental - I can’t think of any positive reason why the thread was started

You wouldn't because it doesn't fit with your constant claims of the ill treatment of those benefit claimants.

I think over £800 p w is a wage so many working 40 hours p w on minimum wage and paying tax can only dream of

If her husband worked 40 hours a week on minimum wage and paid tax they would have another £100+ a week to live on plus another £200+ with child care costs. Would your opinion change if he worked?

Her husband cannot work , he is her carer and has six young children to care for too.

The question of why you started the thread reflects your question as to why she appeared on TV or can save £50 a week. Both pointless with no reason other than you both can.

I can both what ?

The family are obviously managing their money very well if they are saving £50 per week,probably cooking everything from scratch and no takeaways/convienence foods etc so good on them.
I do however think it is the wrong time of year to publicise their lifestyle as it will rile many others who are going to have problems over the festive season and for whom I feel very sorry for.

The amount she gets includes rent - a person on minimum wage would be entitled to housing benefit and tax credits.

I agree glam in being critical of her willingness to appear on TV - I don’t think it’s simply about riling others worse off but that it feeds the anti- benefit brigade many of whom are not short of income.

With her money management skills, that woman should be chancellor of the exchequer!

you do understand that SOMETIMES people get pregnat without actually trying.Perhaps thats what happened to her and MAYBE ,just maybe she decided that she couldn't terminate the pregnancy and went ahead with it.YOU nor I know any of the circumstances so her last baby is none of our business.I will say my DD had fertility treatment to have her two eldest children and was told she would need it IF she decided on another ....she got pregnant naturally just months into a new relationship.She and her partner...now husband also decided to go ahead and we have a wonderful third GD ....sometimes life just happens

Some horrible attitudes on this thread - some people have really forgotten the true meaning of this time of year? Not much goodwill and charitable attitudes here!

I have ME, fibromyalgia and EDS - not all diagnosed when I had my children 20+ years ago - BUT pregnancy actually gave me a remission from the severity of these conditions which is common for many autoimmune illnesses.

Why pretend all is well because it's coming up to Christmas? Do you mean give opinions for 50 weeks of the year but not for two weeks?

Nothing changes the fact the interview caused anger for some who expressed that anger, it also brought the usual benefit claimant attackers out of the woodwork and it is benefit claimants who already get treated as if they are sub human without this sort of interview . I wished she had shut up, saved her money, spent her money . How damn helpful was she to those trying to stop the delays in payment of universial benefit

But your OP didn’t say that- you were questioning the level of her benefits that allowed her to save and spend the amounts stated.

You want it to be so, no matter you are again, wrong.

No ab I am NOT wrong about your OP and what you posted but I really can’t be bothered to carry on with this -read the article in the Guardian today about Frank Fields constituency to see what UC really means - this womsn’s case is so far an outlier it tells us nothing.

Surely the real question has got nothing to do with where the money comes from but whether it is good parenting for a large family on a limited income to be cutting back on their expenditure, possible on food, heat, clothing or educational needs, to the extent of £50 a week in order to spend excessively (£366.66p per child) at Christmas.

There are many, many families with smaller families, and much higher incomes who would not dream of spending so much on all their children's presents, still less on each.

we're ALL different Monica and what she spends is up to her ,for all you know she might be buying them clothes as part of their christmas and thay aren't cheap ,I know I bought my GS a track suit and a couple of t shirts and shoes recently ,not much change out of £200 add on a game for his consul and some money for his phone and thats the £300 gone ,hes a teen who takes size 11 shoes so no childrens vat free stuff for him

I agree completely Monica but this woman must be pretty stupid to go on tv and more or less tell the world how they have so much cash sloshing around ( from public money)
That they can afford to live like this!

Did anyone watch Scrooge last night?
This made me think we've gone back to those times.
Anyone who can save £3000 for Christmas is obviously getting too much benefit.

“What right have you to be merry? what reason have you to be merry? You're poor enough. Come then, returned the nephew gaily. What right have you to be morose? You're rich enough.”

None of my working family with children could afford to save so much for Christmas .......nothing like it!
Nothing to do with Scrooge.

Maybe they just wanted to save and spend on their children while they could, knowing that next Christmas might be worse?

I feel sorry for those in the North East and other areas who are now penniless because their universal benefit roll-out wasn't changed. How many of you will be getting your food from a foodbank for Christmas?

‘Knowing next Christmas might be worse’ ....why would it?

Will you be going to a food bank durhamjen? Why ask the posters on GN?

Probably the woman on tv was bragging in a stupid way, but it does make those working annoyed, with good reason.
Of course we don’t think everybody living on benefits is like this, but it does no good to anyone to think somebody must be milking the system.

Nothing to do with your family, lemon. That's just sour grapes.

Have your working family been on holiday this year?

By the way, has anybody watched the programme?
I haven't, so don't know what was really said, but it really is saying what right have they to spend so much on their kids?

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-mp-heidi-allen-break-down-destitution-universal-credit-frank-field-parliament-a8093906.html