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Well-wisher’s £1,000 gift to benefits mum

7:10am Friday 13th June 2008

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A TEENAGE mother whose family is struggling to survive on £115 a week has spoken of her delight at receiving a £1,000 donation after her story was featured in your Worcester News.

Claire Williams said she was "overwhelmed" by the generosity of an anonymous Worcester News reader who came to her aid.

She said: "I am so overwhelmed, my first thought was I cannot take it. It means everything to us, I can now pay the bills, get the kids some new clothes and we can live until the benefits have come through. "Whoever he is he is a lifesaver."

On Tuesday, your Worcester News reported how the mother-of-two's benefits had been stopped in March after her partner moved in with her.

On the same day we received a phone call from a man wishing to donate money to the 18-year-old.

The man, who did not wish to give his name, age, address or profession, said he felt moved to give the mother money when he read the story.

He said: "I felt outraged with the Department of Works and Pensions for allowing a young family to suffer because of their bureaucracy and not afford them the means to live,"

he said.

"They have two young children and I just feel saddened by their story and I hope they will be happy with the money."

After he delivered £1,000 in postal orders to the office in Hylton Road, Worcester, we handed the money over to Miss Williams.

She said that if there was any money left, after paying the bills and feeding and clothing her children, she would redecorate her flat in Cranham Drive, Warndon, Worcester.

Miss Williams and her 21-year-old partner Ashley Gormley have made fresh claims with the Department for Works and Pensions but until all the information has been received, the benefits cannot be started.

As a result the mum, who has a three-year-old son called Camron and six-month-old baby called Jacob, has been living off the child benefits and child tax credits.

She said that because her children were lactose intolerant, a vast chunk of the money was spent on soya milk and lactose-free products, and after bills had been paid she was left with £15 a week for food.

The teenager does not work because she has been signed off due to long-term depression, and Mr Gormley is looking for a job.

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Your Say YourWorcester News

elle, worcs says...
8:45am Fri 13 Jun 08

i hope she will be declaring this to the work and pensions office.

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jb, Worcester says...
9:14am Fri 13 Jun 08

There's no mention as to whether Miss Williams has made a claim for emergency payments from either the tax credit office or DWP. But when the benefits are sorted out then they will be back dated to the date of the original claim. Having such a wonderful gesture from a well meaning person - will she be paying it back when the lump sum gets paid?

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See bottom of comment, Worcester says...
12:15pm Fri 13 Jun 08

Its great for the kids but does this just mean that they will go through life thinking everything is handed to them on a plate, we all get depressed at some stage and get through it, but that does not mean we cant always work. We would be in a sorry state if we all took time off when we were depressed and claimed of the government. I'm a single parent with two teenage kids, work full time, pay all my bills, a large mortgage and we live on small amount of money each week, and its a lot less than £115 a week but we manage and survive. They both need to get a job and stop sponging off us hard working tax payers.

V.M.S Worcester

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cvj, Worcester says...
2:28pm Fri 13 Jun 08

I work full time to support my kids yet still struggle to pay the bills would somebody like to give me £1000 please!
While its a kind and generous gesture I cant help feeling that there are more needy recipients recipients

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easy_life, Droitwich says...
2:39pm Fri 13 Jun 08

I've just finished a 60 hour week in a job I don't like, my wife has just done a 35 hours, and has to work Saturdays, I've got a 9 year old son and a big mortgage and loads of bills. I just have to get on with it, not go crying to the media for sympathy. As V.M.S says....we have to live on a lot less than £115 a week. I might just pack up work and go off scrounging and live the horrendous life these poor souls make us believe they have! That benefactor must have been born yesterday!

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newest kid on the block, uk says...
2:57pm Fri 13 Jun 08

In the words of Catherine Tate... "what a f*****g LIBERTY!"

I fail to see how anyone can feel sorry for this girl? Let alone give her £1000!!

She needs to GET A GRIP

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chippie, Worcester says...
4:26pm Fri 13 Jun 08

There are plenty of people living on a low income - perhaps just a letter to the paper would bring them a gift as well from a well wisher.

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hacked off, worcester says...
4:45pm Fri 13 Jun 08

without wanting to jump on the Jeremy Kyle bandwagon , why on earth is the father of these children not working ? why should it be left to us taxpayers to pick up the bill , im a single mother and i still manage to work nearly full time and be in full time education , having been a young mum myself i understand how hard it can be , but surely help in other ways and not £1000 payout would be more helpful , or maybe we can pay for the 3rd and 4th child they choose to have , i hope the money goes to good use and not towards cheap tobacco and suchlike as i suspect it will be ......... bottom line GET A JOB!

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varien, worcester says...
5:11pm Fri 13 Jun 08

In the words of Victor Meldrew "I don't believe it, I simply don't believe it...."

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Salsa, Malvern says...
5:29pm Fri 13 Jun 08

Lets hope the £1000 is taken into account when her benefits are eventually sorted, and lets not forget, the DWP and local councils do not hold up dealing with claims for the fun of it, they can only be dealt with when all information requested is provided by the claimants, so the delay must be the fault of MIss Williams, I wouldn't give my last penny to her if I had one, I am a single mum, work ful time pay all my bills, if I can do it, why can't she instead of sitting on her backside doing nothing, I think she ought to give the money to charity.

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Helen Donovan, Evesham says...
5:44pm Fri 13 Jun 08

Oh good, maybe now her "depression" will lift and she can go and get a job to support herself and her child, just like everybody else!

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Woowoo, Worcestershire says...
6:13pm Fri 13 Jun 08

I have just read this and it has made me cross as i work part time 20 hours a week and get about £600 a month. with wages and child tax credits. I pay £267 rent and £106 council tax as get no help. Then pay £75 on nursery fees got £152 left for food and bills a month!! so i am in the same boat. but get no help

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taffinworcs, worcester says...
8:36pm Fri 13 Jun 08

what afool this man is. shes 18 got 2 kids and hes 21 unemployed. welcome to ferial and feckless britain

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jb, Worcester says...
8:57pm Fri 13 Jun 08

Having thought more about this issue, I do find it strange that this girls benefits were stopped altogether. Usually when change of circumstances are disclosed it just means that there is an adjustment made dependant upon the details given. Although she says that paperwork has been lost/not recieved it puzzles me that her benefits were stopped altogether. Have you really been given the full facts WN?

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ju, worcester says...
10:58pm Fri 13 Jun 08

This couple make me sick. I am a full time working Mum. I would love to be a stay at home Mum but i can not afford it.
If she is that poor then why choose to have a second child. Surely she was in the same position with the one child. This is just another case of a child having a child. Again the tax payer foots the bill!!!!!! And we should feel guilty because she chose to put herself in the positition she is in.
I am sorry but what kind of role models are they to their children.
Rather than whinge do something about it. Its called the job centre. And there are plenty of jobs to help you pay your bills, pay for food and fund your kids.
The only problem then for you is like the rest of us. You will have to pay your rent, council tax, buy food, clothe the kids and pay the bills.
HOW does this woman claim to live in poverty.
The day after pay day i to spend the month living to a bread line.
I dont get hand outs.
All i can say to the person who donated £1000. You should have donated it to a real charity I would recomended Acorns as they really do need the money. There are two people in this relationship so one of them could get a job.
I think they are just scroungers start acting like parents. Harsh as it sounds, its reality!!!!

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ju, worcester says...
11:05pm Fri 13 Jun 08

jb wrote:
Having thought more about this issue, I do find it strange that this girls benefits were stopped altogether. Usually when change of circumstances are disclosed it just means that there is an adjustment made dependant upon the details given. Although she says that paperwork has been lost/not recieved it puzzles me that her benefits were stopped altogether. Have you really been given the full facts WN?
Only the benefits agency can answer that one. However they normally only suspend them if there is an issue. The usual protocon is they maintain the amount already being paid. And back date the overdue payments.
I just feel sorry for the mug who donated a grand!!!!
quote

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ladyluck, worcester says...
12:58am Sat 14 Jun 08

AND IM PRETTY SURE YOU LOT WOULDNT TURN DOWN A KIND GESTURE OF 1.000.

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cvj, Worcester says...
12:03pm Sat 14 Jun 08

ladyluck wrote:
AND IM PRETTY SURE YOU LOT WOULDNT TURN DOWN A KIND GESTURE OF 1.000.
nor would you!

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elle, worcs says...
1:32pm Sat 14 Jun 08

no but we don't expect it so get off our backsides and support ourselves and our family without crying to the WN about how unfair life is and how we should be handed it on a silver plate.
life is hard we have all accepted it so should she and stop being a scrounger. I wonder if they go without things, the essentials like fags and booze i mean?!?

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varien, worcester says...
4:02pm Sat 14 Jun 08

I notice from the picture in the WN that Miss Williams seems to be well groomed with nice make-up, hair colouring and clothes which look quite fashionable. No doubt the £1000 donation will help her to keep up her appearance.

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tinkerbell, Worcester says...
5:56pm Sat 14 Jun 08

Hello, I have read this story over and over again. My partner is very cross as about 2 years ago when i had to stop work early as was having a bad time through my Pregnancy. I had to have a child early as have a medical condition.
Any way we had to take a loan out as could not get no benefits. So we got our selfs into dept. This girl just gets every thing and its not fair, i bet she drinks and smoke too.
At the moment we are strugling and no one will help us!

We both work part time in a shop My partner mon, wed, and fri 9-7. i work 9-6 tues and thurs and 10-2 on a sat. we earn (yes we earn) about £780 a month, then get £101 child tax and £75 child benefit. =£956

We get nothing else and pay out every month
£550 rent
£112 council tax
£35 water rates
£40 gas/electery
£12 T.V linece
£20 mobile phone top ups
£40 wet wipes, nappies for baby
£20 top up food milk bread ect
£35 for a loan as had to take one out when i was on materty leave as could not afford to live.
£50 food for the month!!

I am so worse off than this girl and pay my way!! Get no council tax or rent benefit!! my little 2 year old is most important i make sure he gets food rather than me!!

So why is life so unfair!!

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Comments are closed on this article.

Worcester News reporter Lucy Tatchell hands the money to Claire Williams, with son Camron. Picture by Simon Rogers. 24422001 Worcester News reporter Lucy Tatchell hands the money to Claire Williams, with son Camron. Picture by Simon Rogers. 24422001

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