Benefit changes are starting to hit home.

gayleanne

We have a neighbour who is 26 years of age, and has eight children, in a 3 bedroom home, she seems to spend her whole benefits on drink drugs and booze, we have often had her children in our house crying because they are hungry, and we have fed them, meals and given them money for bags of chips, I really feel sorry for the kids, not one of the fathers, visit I am not sure that she even knows who the fathers are.

She received a letter from the DWP today, informing her that her total benefits are going to be cut in April.They are to be capped at £500.00 a week that is including the rent for her house, she was in her garden shouting and screaming this afternoon, and threatening the children, that she is going to put the kids into a home, because she won't be able to afford to keep them, in the mean time she is pregnant with her 9th child. It was heart breaking to see the kids crying and holding on to her coat, she is losing hundreds of pounds a week, in fact she gets more a week than most people earn in a month. And she still lends money from people because she has no gas or electric, I have given money just because of the children, I couldn't bear the thought of them all being cold, or hungry, the house is a tip with matresses on the floor, Social services have been there many times.

I truly think, that she thought it wouldn't happen to her. I feel so sorry for the kids, because I can not see her giving up the fags booze and drugs to feed them. But undoubtedly this is going to happen all over the country. There is no more of having more kids to get more money.

daffodil

I am speechless - I dont know who to feel the sorriest for?
The mother who I am sure never wanted this future for herself, let alone the children.
The children who are the most vulnerable in this situation
Or you - for having to witness it and pass judgement and for having to help.

Its a sad sad world.

Honest_broker07

As a taxpayer I always found it unfair that some people got more in benefits that I can earn in a fairly well paid job.#

And of course if whe gives up the kids she shouldn't even be getting the £500 a week.

paddedjohn

Why did she get a letter? i thought the cap was being phased in over time and was only going to be for new claimants at first.

asdf1982

have you thought about informing social services about the food situation? if she is receiving in well excess of £26k at present that is enough for food and she is not buying it. Remember that 7 year old girl that starved to death and she was in the neighbours garden stealing bread left out for birds

gayleanne

I think she got the letter because she is renting privately and the council will be capping her rent, the rent is 650.00 a week, she can not go into social housing because she was evicted by the council, then she got a housing association house, and they ended up evicting her, the eldest child is 9, I feel so sorry for the kids, but the more I try to help the more she expects.

cockaleekee

daffodil wrote: »

I am speechless - I dont know who to feel the sorriest for?
The mother who I am sure never wanted this future for herself, let alone the children.
The children who are the most vulnerable in this situation
Or you - for having to witness it and pass judgement and for having to help.

Its a sad sad world.

Contraception could have prevented this future? One child may be an accident, but nine certainly are not.

nannytone_2

even if the OP is true (which i doubt.i cant find it in myself to feel too sorry. for the kids yes, but maybe social services will do the right thing and remove them.
if the mother is drinking and doing drugs, then theyre probably better off out of the situation.
as for the mother .... tough luck!
she is in the situation that she has COSEN fir herself

i save my pity for people that are in dire straights through no fault of their own

gayleanne

asdf1982 wrote: »

have you thought about informing social services about the food situation? if she is receiving in well excess of £26k at present that is enough for food and she is not buying it. Remember that 7 year old girl that starved to death and she was in the neighbours garden stealing bread left out for birds

The social services are there at least once a week, and they always bring carrier bags of food basics, I did question them one day, and they said that the children are better off living with the mother. I sometimes wonder what qualifications they have got to not realise what is going on, the kids are still walking the streets at 10/11 o'clock at night. And they do nothing.

cockaleekee

gayleanne wrote: »

The social services are there at least once a week, and they always bring carrier bags of food basics, I did question them one day, and they said that the children are better off living with the mother. I sometimes wonder what qualifications they have got to not realise what is going on, the kids are still walking the streets at 10/11 o'clock at night. And they do nothing.

The social workers are in a no win situation - despite what they see and how they personally feel, they have to keep the family together wherever possible. It must be very frustrating for them - remember they will probably see these same scenario several times a week

claire16c

gayleanne wrote: »

The social services are there at least once a week, and they always bring carrier bags of food basics, I did question them one day, and they said that the children are better off living with the mother. I sometimes wonder what qualifications they have got to not realise what is going on, the kids are still walking the streets at 10/11 o'clock at night. And they do nothing.

Do you call them yourself when you see the kids out at this time?