Woman wants more benefits to lose weight...
Dannielle_Howel
Posts: 1,551 Forum Member
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http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/25-stone-mum-gets-20k-4318143
Just to start, I rarely post links to DS so if this breaks any forum rules I apologize.
When I read this my blood started to boil! What the hell? ''A bag of crisps cost the same as a bag of apples and I can't afford both'' Just get the bloody apples then.
I have absolutely no sympathy for this woman, especially when she has bloody pop tarts in her cupboard which cost £4.00 a pack!!! It might be a little more expensive these days to eat healthy but it is very do able if you research recipes, freeze food and so on. She spends 300 a month on junk food - and don't get my wrong I love a good pig out on occasion - but £300 is more than enough to eat healthy for the month! Don't even get my started with the exercise is too expensive part.
Just to start, I rarely post links to DS so if this breaks any forum rules I apologize.
When I read this my blood started to boil! What the hell? ''A bag of crisps cost the same as a bag of apples and I can't afford both'' Just get the bloody apples then.
I have absolutely no sympathy for this woman, especially when she has bloody pop tarts in her cupboard which cost £4.00 a pack!!! It might be a little more expensive these days to eat healthy but it is very do able if you research recipes, freeze food and so on. She spends 300 a month on junk food - and don't get my wrong I love a good pig out on occasion - but £300 is more than enough to eat healthy for the month! Don't even get my started with the exercise is too expensive part.
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Anyway, you have to ask where the father is and how much money he is contributing towards the children.
She is clearly not very bright, but what can you do? In the article she does say she'd be happy with vouchers for healthy foods, rather than just cash.
Although I don't think the actual truth is particularly relevant to her story (she just eats sugary shit by the looks of things, not even real food) - but good quality healthy food is more expensive than it should be.
She feeds herself and her kids shit food but can't afford healthy food, what a pile of crap.
Just a fat usless mother.
1) Stop with the hair dye and body art, and use that money for healthy food.
2) Incentives to exercise? You've two young kids, go to the ruddy park and don't just sit there shoveling crisps in your gob, but play with them.
3) I quite like the idea of the government giving you £1 per lb you lose. How about you lose it and keep it off for five years and then you can have your payout? Cheaper than surgically stapling your stomach.
4) Forget everything I just said, stay fat, because I bet you'd be back after losing some demanding money from the gov because you need a whole new wardrobe of clothes that fit.
I'm done.
On a calmer note, I do understand where she's coming from, it is cheaper to buy mass produced rubbish. However to get yourself to that weight I don't think that having extra money or even coupons for healthy foods is going to change your eating habits.
That said, if we could guarantee she'd definitely lose weight if we paid her, it would probably be a worthwhile investment.
I look at people like her and I dread to think of the burden she'll be to the NHS and social services if she doesn't lose any weight.
But you can't guarantee it, and there would be no way to have her (or anyone else that would join this scheme) repay it if she failed to lose weight. Then you've paid more, and she's still the same burden to the NHS.
I do like the idea of a carrot though, literally and figuratively in this case.
She doesn't literally get 20k cash a year. Half of that will probably be her rent and council tax paid.
Although I sort of understand your point, surely this shouldn't come as a suprise to you?
We've had a welfare system since the 70's and to be fair, she's probably getting a very average amount for a lone parent with two young children.
She's just preposterously stupid when it comes to nutrition - her benefits aren't the story here, there are probably (at least) 5 lone parents receiving the same amount in benefit in my street alone.
Personally I think doctors should be there to treat illnesses not someone's inability to learn basic cooking.
However you have a point, perhaps basic cooking skills could be taught in school, we could call it "home economics", and it could be made mandatory.
I'd also echo the question the other FM asked, where is the father in all this?
Too easy to slag off the mother who isn't coping too well with the situation in which she finds herself.
I think our efforts at finding and getting absent parents to pay up in this country are pathetic, it's one area where I think America has handled it better.
*I don't mean that it's you slagging Her off,I just happen to be rambling on the quote page.....:D
GP's used to be able to write prescriptions that would entitle you to free, or heavily discounted, membership to the local gym which was a great idea. Unfortunately it was binned by the government.
When her kids turn out to be morbidly obese by the age of 10, she'll be back in the papers claiming that also isn't her fault as well ..
it is a great idea, i know that a diabetic friend was offered a prescription to weight watchers fairly recently.
If they are being referred for weight problems then how is it prevention rather than cure?
I understand what you're trying to say though, and I do think nutritionists are a good idea. However I think most people know what is good for them, some people choose to ignore this, and that's their choice. Do they really deserve extras?
Btw, I'm talking about people like the one in the OP, not those that have weight issues due to medical problems or as side effects of medication.
prevention of very much more expensive to treat and life threatening conditions.
most people might know what is good for them, they quite often don`t know what it looks like and how to achieve it.
What makes you think this? Again, she gets a fairly average to low amount - she just spends it on shit.
As somebody who was in secondary school in the early noughties I fully agree - I wish I'd had home-economics and regular cooking lessons. Schools just don't teach useful life-skills anymore.
We did a bit of 'food tech' (alternated with 'textiles' and other design and technology subjects), but realistically I think we cooked all of about 5 things in 3 years from Years 7-9. I couldn't even do it as a GCSE.
How far do you go though? Should those already following a healthy diet and exercise regime be rewarded with cut price gyms because they are actively preventing those problems already? Should overweight people be forced to healthy eating plans and exercise?
Yes obesity is a huge problem, but how far do you think the government should get involved? Perhaps a better way is to tax the hell out of unhealthy foods, and make them the luxury rather than the cheap option.
The real reason is because people these days are too bloody lazy to prepare a fresh meal. They'd rather just throw a pizza and chips in the oven , and then sit there playing facebook until it's done.
Maybe this woman should stop blaming the government and start looking a little closer to home as to why she's so fat .
It's below the national average wage for one person, and remember we're talking about a household with 3 people (her + 2 kids).
Given that 10k of that will be housing and council tax she only gets around £200 a week cash, roughly.
It's not a lot when you have 2 kids.
ETA: Besides which she wont be entitled forever. I think you only get Income Support up until the youngest child is about 7?
She'd get even less if she didn't have kids. Or a house. Or had a job on minimum wage.
Yes but if she was only paid the welfare equivalent of minimum wage she'd receive £200 a week to cover everything (rent, CT and living costs) - which would probably be impossible - they wouldn't be able to either afford the rent or food or bills and would be stuffed.
The fundamental problems here are low wages and high cost of living.
It's one of those things - the kids are here, it's not like they are going anywhere, they all need a roof over their heads and food in their mouths. What do you want them to do? Starve?
I'm not saying she needs more money, but nor does she need less. The benefits aren't the problem here - she gets the right amount of money, her lack of... education, gumption, common sense with regard to food is the issue.