ISSUE 6 THE SINGLE MUM ON BENEFITS

Impressed? I don't think so, I'm a hard-working 17 year old who goes to both college and has a job working at Tesco's and love it. One of the many things that makes me angry about this story is the fact that many people like me have to PAY for lazy people like Pam. Benefits are there for people who really need it - not to splurge on luxuries.
Besides, at the end, Pam stated that she dosen't care of anybody's complaints. Yeah? Well I don't care about her life story on failing miserably at life just because she can't live without her *precious* benefits (which in fact the majority of it needs to be stripped from her and she should be forced to work). Being on benefits is nothing to be proud of if you're using it in the wrong way. She's just as equally bad as benefit thieves.
I've got everything I've wanted through hard-working parents and my job itself. Money and goods have no value if you're continuously able to get what you want. I'd rather work for a living knowing my life is not in vain thanks.

Good luck to your kids in the future, Pam, they'll turn out to be three *more* members on the benefits list. Yeah, you're doing a great -job- being a Mum [/sarcasm]

I think she should be ashamed of herself, I work full time so does my husband we have no kids but i know plenty of others who do and work full time. She should be made to go out and work and have everything stripped from her greedy hands!! This country needs to tighten up on people like her as there is far to many of them. Reading this has made me so angry and im sure other people feel the same!

It boils my blood to read stories like this. Both myself and my partner work full time and have one child, can't claim anything, have to pay for further education, prescriptions, dental care... The list goes on. In short, we get nothing! We would love to have another child, however, can't afford to. I also think that by not allowing her child's father to live with them, it is setting a bad example, and not allowing them to bond properly. I'm pretty sure that when she is forced to get a job, she'll invent an illness so she can claim other benefits. GORDON BROWN, OPEN YOUR EYES AND STOP SCROUNGERS LIKE THIS!!!!

Doesn't being a good mum mean being a good role model?? Stupid woman. Why would you publicly humiliate herself like that? I am a full time mother to four children but i don't live on benefits, My husband runs his own plastering business. you are guessing your mum is disappointed, Well I can tell you now she most probably is!! You are not teaching your kids anything.. I run my house, my husbands business and care for my kids full time, but I still make the time to study to achieve something in my life. I don't think you are being entirely truthful though, because you wouldn't be in a relationship with someone for five years and not live together, I hope the benefits agency don't read this article because I think maybe they should investigate you for fraud. You have openly admitted that you can work but you just don't want to, I don't think you should be allowed to get away with it!!

Forgot to say, Do you think she declared her payment for her story to the benefits agency???

I was totally disgusted when i read this story, i have worked all my life since i left school even when i went to college and university i worked part time when i could, i became a single mum in 2007 and was only receving stat maternity pay and received nothing from the council. I had to pay full rent and full council tax so i had barely anything to live on. She says that she deserves the money then what about people who bring up a family and run a house while working what do they deserve? then to brag about it as well, i do think looking after children is hardwork but i don't think you should feel proud of taking money of others to look after your own children.Especially when its money i pay she uses to live her luxurious lifestyle while i struggle. Its no wonder that people choose not to work when it sounds like you are better of not working. Benefits should be there as back up if you loose your job or are unable to work not just for those who are unwilling to work. I agree that children should have good role models and know how important going out to work is.

I am a mum of two boys and felt utter disgrace at the story about benefit mum living the life of luxury. I have worked full time from the minute i left school 17 years ago. When i had my first child i went back to work after 6 weeks as i had no option if i wanted to support my family. I have now had my second child and am an at home mum temporarily as i felt i missed out on so much with my first son but my husband works really hard, in a physical job, at night in the elements, doing a 40 hour week to provide for us. Once my second child starts school i too will return to work. It apppalls me that this woman can provide all the up to date gadgets for her children and pet and waste £25 a week of tax payers money on cigarettes and think she is clever for doing so. I live in an area which is full of these types of woman who have several children by different men and do not support a hair on their heads but can still drink, smoke and have all the fun in the world. What type of example is she setting her children. They see how easy it is for her to sit on her bum all day and get what she wants. When she adds up her benefits of £252 a week which did not include her free rent and council tax she gets paid more than a full time working person. Its about time the government sorted out these parents and got them back to work or in college as soon as their kids are at school so they can be filtered back into the respectful society. I hope Thats Life has not paid her for her story and given her another quick easy quid in her pocket. Hopefully someone in her benefits office reads her story and cuts off her funds and makes her get a job. She should be embarrassed at this story and i hope she gets lots of sour looks when she picks her kids up from school. They will probably be in tears because they have been bullied all day due to this story.

I have just read this story in thats life and i am absolutley disgusted and fuming!! Why would some one want to brag about living of taxpayers money?? oh iv got all the latest gadgets and all us hard working people have paid for them. Makes me sick, im 24 and worked since the age of 14, currently i work in the local post office and see this day in day out. Its not that these kind of people cant work, they just simply cant be boverd and get paid £252 a week, more than me working 43 hours a week!!! The government need to do something and stop making it so easy for her and the rest, why would they want a job when no one is making them! Its better just to keep getting pregnant so their money goes up!!!!

My family and I had neighbours who lived off benefits for years and probably one of Britains most skankiest families... The mother couldn't care less about her kids, one day I even saw them sitting outside, in their pajamas, eating their dinner - right there on the pavement! All day you would her a big fat gob shouting at her kids all day. Had probably more than five kids (lost count). Her eldest daughter kept getting pregnant. You wouldn't believe how many times my family and all the surrounding residents have complained about them.

But one day, FINALLY, they were all evicted. Happiest days of the neighbourhoods lives. The next day however, some kids tried their luck by setting the side of the house on fire - were friends of that family, angry at the council for evicting them.
After months and months the council couldn't be bothered to clean out the house or anything because it was so revolting - all the surrounding residents got rats in their gardens continuously because they were so filthy.

And news broke out that the council house was about to be occupied by another family. But guess what? Another fat, lazy and pregnancy-prone family. Just as skanky as the last. I swear that house is cursed. But at least their bloody children are quiet. But again, they claim benefits.

I just wish that some people would just learn to keep their legs shut and get their bums out of their beds and get a bloody job. I don't see why families like these are able to have a council house, they can live on the streets for all I care. Well, that's where their kids seem to spend most of their life anyway. Dosen't surprise me and it's just not getting any better.

it is awful to be bragging about not working and living off benefits. Im sure their are genuine people out there who cant work but to tell the world you are happy taking off the goverment and living like a lord while you do is sad. I myself am a single parent who works but i feel its better to set an example to your children and show them that you should be working its tax payers who suffer for lazy people who dont want to work it makes me so angry hearing this

I can't wait till the new rules on Income Support come in October 2010 and when her youngest child is aged 7 she will have to claim Jobseekers Allowance and prove every 2 weeks what she is doing to look for work and she WILL be checked upon. I work full-time, have 1 child at secondary school, 1 at university and my eldest has an 18 month old daughter and he is engaged to his fiancee as they can't yet afford to get married. It makes me so angry to know that all the National Insurance contributions and Income Tax that I pay go to keep this lazy scrounger in the lap of luxury. She should be thoroughly ashamed of herself, but the only problem is - she isn't! She is proud of herself - God help her kids as they grow up thinking that they can leave education at 18 and go stright to the dole office.

When I first read Pam's story in That’s Life! Magazine I was appalled to read that she is happy to be claiming all the benefits going but how can she afford to do that sickens me to the bone. I too am a single mother claiming benefits but I use my benefits wisely as I spend my money on gas, electricity, water, TV licensing, my internet connection, prepay mobile phone vouchers, food, clothes for my daughter and other every day essentials. I don’t have time to splash out on all the everyday luxuries such as laptops, stereos, DVD players etc as I just can’t afford to do that. Instead of lounging at home doing nothing all I go out and about keeping myself motivated by doing courses, going on training sessions and do volunteering work, ok I understand that the work I do is only voluntary but I do it so that I have something to show my future employers that I haven’t been sitting on my backside at home doing nothing but I am going out there to improve my skills and confidence for when I do go back to work. People like Pam make me sick to realise she can get away with things like this and give other mums or those who claim benefits like me a bad name. I also have a disability which affects my walking but I can’t get Disability Living Allowance for it but I don’t let that stop me from doing something good for myself and that’s to go out there and volunteer which will help me gain a job in the long run and will look great on application forms and on my Curriculum Vitae. I fully understand that the government will change the rules for those who are claiming Income Support and that from October 2010 when the youngest is seven years old they and I will have to start claiming Jobseekers Allowance. If you have any comments or questions about my reply please feel free to ask and I will honestly and openly answer what I can

the minority of lazy workshy soap dodgers do spoil it 4 the majority im a single mum of 2 myself i wish i could afford to live in luxury like some of the unemployed single parents on high benefits they get 4 their kids

if we were all employed and nobody at all was out of work what would the taxes that people pay be spent on? pointless wars ? silly millenium domes? expences for free loading robbing mps im sure if people were not moaning about the unemployed elderly sick and lame then some1 elce would be getting the blame 4 the billions wasted every year from the tax payer we as a nation just love to moan and blame people usually the victim it makes me so sad to be british. maybe we should start looking at where the moneys really being wasted by this labour government billions on the war in afghanistan that really is none of great britains business its americas war cos of the oil in iraq the greedy american leaders just wanting global domination and to stay rich and powerfull and have the rich oil supplies it makes me sad that we as a nation spend our lives being ruled by gods and money whatever happened to the real important things in life like values love thy neighbour and looking out 4 each other not greed and selfishness

I think the responce to Pams story in issue 10 was disgusting and disturbing. How quick people were to blame and discriminate against Pam and for what? because our system works in such away. It's not her fault the government pay her 16k a year to do nothing. No wonder people don't get jobs. It shows what kind of people live in this country, people who slander someone because they recieve what there entitled to. I personally don't think the system is right but i don't blame Pam for that or any other single mum on benefits. It's the system that doesn't work, i'm sure if some of those people who responded to the story in a very judgmental and hurtful mannor towards Pam, would take 16k a year for nothing.

I think the responce to Pams story in issue 10 was disgusting and disturbing. How quick people were to blame and discriminate against Pam and for what? because our system works in such away. It's not her fault the government pay her 16k a year to do nothing. No wonder people don't get jobs. It shows what kind of people live in this country, people who slander someone because they recieve what there entitled to. I personally don't think the system is right but i don't blame Pam for that or any other single mum on benefits. It's the system that doesn't work, i'm sure if some of those people who responded to the story in a very judgmental and hurtful mannor towards Pam, would take 16k a year for nothing.

I read the story and was appalled by what I read. I think we have all been on benefits at some time (or most of us have) but I certainly couldn't afford to get my kids the things they wanted. I wish to God I could have done when they were younger. Even now they don't have a lot but they are both working and working very hard. My daughter has put herself through uni and has worked very hard to get a job and my son is working and going to uni this year. I'm very proud of them but I also feel guilty because I can't give them all the things I would like to. I have paid to do a home study course myself to better my qualifications and for this woman to stay at home and let her kids think thats its acceptable is wrong. They will grow up with that kind of thinking and it will carry on down the generations. The government needs to be tougher.

I know this story ran a fair few issues ago, but I have only just joined the forum! Like most, I was absolutely appalled! Words did fail me. When I told my Fiance, I think all that came out was 'Umph Argh ooo argh umph!' I was a single mum not that long ago. I claimed benefits......they were called Working Tax Credits! I worked 24 hours a week, and I was back at work when my son was 4 months old. I would get looks when out and about, as I did live in a council flat, and I was tarred with the 'scrounging single mum' brush. But I was proud that I was working. I had no intention to meet a man, happy to raise my son (and work) forever. Then I met my fiance. We are worse off as a couple, since I lost my job and tax credits have reduced payments (he works too many hours!). I claimed JSA for 6 months, and I hated it! I hate being out of work. But I think it is lessened because my son is still in a working household. I heard something about one of the main parties scrapping benefits....I think it is a good idea for people like her. I claimed JSA because I needed to. There are many people out there who have claimed a benefit because they have to. It just makes me sick when people 'choose' it. I think the government should make it tougher, so people cannot choose it, but only access it as and when they need it.

The benefit system should be there for the people who need it not want it. I was a single mum for a couple of years but in that time i went to college to get a degree and once i had qualified i came off benefits went to work and paid back all the money i had from the system. Im working now married with two children and my husband and i both work hard for our family and dont claim anything. Some women find themselves in situations that they cant control and need help but a lot of them just think the world owes them a living and think its their right to stay at home and look after their kids while the rest of us pay for them. If you want children then be prepared to pay for them