I'm a full time mum and benefits are my wages.

[Ms Macbeth 76]

I take stuff I read in the red tops with a large pinch of salt, but assume these figures are correct. How much would a working couple or single parent have to earn to be able to have that level of disposable income left? £217 in benefits, plus £35 child support from one father = £252 per week.

 

This report says there are 4 million children in poverty in the UK - but how can there be if this is how much a parent with 3 young children receives? http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/why-end-child-poverty/key-facts

 

Do other families get less in benefits?

[Ghozer 113]

 

Do other families get less in benefits?

 

It depends, theres lots of factors that can be taken into account...

 

how many children under a certain age, how many over a certain age, any disabled or anything, once they all pass a certain age, she won't get any Child Tax Credits, so that will drop about 80 per week (assuming its two children claimed for)

 

once one hits 16 that will drop things again... and change everything...

[*_ash_* 88]

Though I agree with MacBeth about taking things with a pinch of salt..

 

Child tax credits?? I know about working tax credits.. but 137 a week child tax credits? What's that?

 

She then gets £35 in income support, £137 child tax credits and £45 child benefit, and recently started receiving £35 in child support. Her children get free school dinners and each term she pockets £85 to pay for school uniforms.

Edited February 17, 2010 by *_ash_*

[psyn 10]

"SHE sits surrounded by top-of-the-range flat-screen tellies, laptop computers, games consoles and two high-tech gaming chairs.

 

But single mum Pam Bainb..."

 

No she doesn't she has a low end to crap telly a so so low end laptop and thats quite probably being generous in the scheme of things.

she's clearly quite thick , I work as hard as someone on £50k... blah bla,

and she is as deluded as the sun is, she has top of the range nothing, and is probably Xamount of pounds in debt to get the small and now commonplace items.

anyone watched idiocracy?

[mafya 250]

If this had been a muslim or foreigner I know that there would have been alot more than 16 posts on this subject.

Where are all the usuall suspects who moan about how their taxes are paying for this? Oh silly me its because she is not a muslim and she is not a foreigner.

[Cyclone 10]

thing is, thats a cheap-end TV, and a Cheap to Mid range Laptop, I wouldn't say they are top of the range tbh....

 

and the place will have been tidied up for the photo...

 

and tbh, if she can afford that stuff in the check list, on benefits, she must budget things REALLY well and be getting everything she is entitled to, I say good on her...

 

and she's right, she wouldn't be £50/week better off if she worked like she said... I worked it out for me if I worked minimum wage @ 25 hours per week (which the job centre want me to do, which isn't enough to claim working tax to 'top it up') after rent and bills, I would have £80 per MONTH left over for food and travel and clothes etc... thats no where near enough... and what if I have an unexpected expense like my glasses break?

 

Why not work full time at the minimum wage as a start, and then your wage will go up as you gain experience and skills.

[Cyclone 10]

It depends, theres lots of factors that can be taken into account...

 

how many children under a certain age, how many over a certain age, any disabled or anything, once they all pass a certain age, she won't get any Child Tax Credits, so that will drop about 80 per week (assuming its two children claimed for)

 

once one hits 16 that will drop things again... and change everything...

 

Do Tax Credits help if you aren't paying any tax because you aren't working?

 

The contribution from the father would be there whether she worked or not as would child benefit, so in the question of whether she'd be better off working they can be ignored.

[Cyclone 10]

If this had been a muslim or foreigner I know that there would have been alot more than 16 posts on this subject.

Where are all the usuall suspects who moan about how their taxes are paying for this? Oh silly me its because she is not a muslim and she is not a foreigner.

 

You appear to have a chip on your shoulder the size of an entire potato!

[Ms Macbeth 76]

It depends, theres lots of factors that can be taken into account...

 

how many children under a certain age, how many over a certain age, any disabled or anything, once they all pass a certain age, she won't get any Child Tax Credits, so that will drop about 80 per week (assuming its two children claimed for)

 

once one hits 16 that will drop things again... and change everything...

 

Perhaps I wasn't clear - I meant would other families in exactly the same circs get less. Because this family's income surely doesn't mean they are in poverty? I don't think there has ever been a time when the level of benefits for people with children has ever been so high. Especially compared to the level of people with none.

[x-GiGgLeS-x 10]

I would not at all be proud if I was her. She also says she has a credit card so that is probably where the 'top of the range' stuff as come from. No one on benefits can really afford to save all that with 3 children surely. Also why would a credit card company give her a credit card when she is not in work? Dont you have to be working?

[Prodigy1992 10]

She is beautiful, so I think it's ok for her to do that.

[Ms Macbeth 76]

I would not at all be proud if I was her. She also says she has a credit card so that is probably where the 'top of the range' stuff as come from. No one on benefits can really afford to save all that with 3 children surely. Also why would a credit card company give her a credit card when she is not in work? Dont you have to be working?

 

It is possible to save on that level of income - she has no housing costs. She manages to run a car, and buy consumables so of course she can save. A person who smokes 20 a day spends about £25-£30 a week, so a non-smoker on the same income could save at least part of that. Or does no parent who is fully dependent on benefits smoke?