To wonder how she affords this?

[Goldencoatedeggs]

A friend of a friend (yes I know, but this is real!) is on universal credit and uses food banks once a week. She has four children and lives in social housing.

She was chatting to me and my friend the other morning and mentioned she was off to Spain during the Easter holidays. Then she joked about how much she’ll enjoy all the food and went on to say how she’s going all inclusive, with all her four children during the school holidays!!! I can’t afford that and I’m working part time (my partner works full time), we would really struggle to afford all inclusive during school hols.

I thought oh maybe it’s a one off or something, even though I was shocked. Then she went on to say about her experience doing the same the year before and about the plane journey etc!

I know I’m probably going to get attacked for this post but I don’t understand how she can afford this, but still uses food banks once a week. It’s making no sense to me.

Well why don’t you ask her OP then you’ll know if you can save for it too.

4 kids on AI will probably be cheaper than buying 4 kids food every day.

there are plenty of deals around and if kids are under 12 it’s probably a lot cheaper to do a package AI.

last time I booked a holiday ai wasn’t much more than b&b, especially in the cheaper hotels. Means you don’t have to spend much out there, organise trips etc.

Surely the whole point in a food bank is for people that literally cannot afford food, if she can afford to take a holiday In school holidays then she can afford food. Holiday’s are a luxury not an entitlement, food is a necessity. I’ve had times where I’ve not had any spare money but put food on my table. Maybe I should of gone to a food bank and let other people feed my family so I could go on holiday 🙄

Considering you are not close friends, you know an awful lot about this woman's financial status and relationship with her parents.

Exactly. This thread is starting to sound like a Tory party conference.

So we're suggesting she's a benefit cheat?

And her darstardly plan is: live in social housing and eat food bank food for 51 weeks of the year so that you save up all your UC to spend on a holiday to spain once a year?

OR are we going to also find out that she wears gucci clothes and throws all the food bank food away out of the farrari window on the way to Waitrose? Oh and the social housing property is not where she actually lives 24/7 at all, she has a 5 bed house in Windsor.

I mean - joking aside - what is being suggested?

That she's working and not declaring it? Or that she shouldn't be on UC? Or that she doesn't deserve to go to the food bank because she has a weeks holiday once a year and ''we'' don't understand exactly how?

Yanbu.
Regardless of who's paying for it, there is something off about using a food bank and simultaneously being able to afford a foreign holiday.
Off because some very kind people who couldn't afford this holiday themselves will still be putting in to food banks.

Yeah - she should be twisting her cap a bit harder really.

This. And the food banks are running short of food so how about we leave it for those in genuine need.

I would say neither really, it doesn't need to be so aggressive or black and white as you post.

But as someone who is careful with my own money and spending choices, and who couldn't in a million years afford an AI during school hols, but who does donate to food banks because I know I'm better of than many, I too would wonder how this person can afford that. It doesn't sit right.

But just wondering doesn't mean one is flinging about accusations of fraud.

Why are you so defensive?

I would have said something like ' god that must be costing you a fortune in school holidays!' if someone else was paying she would probably say so. When we went away with family to a very fancy villa I was the first to volunteer that MIL was paying for it and we just paid flights as I was concious that on one hand I was moaning about the cost of stuff then swanning off to a villa that could host the next love island it was so white and glossy!

I agree with a PP that although on the face of it many people get UC that eqates to us working for our money but I think that at least we should hopefully get to old age and own our own home, once our kids leave home our money wont suddenly drop, we get payrises or can change jobs and get a salary increas that way, we are paying into pensions for our old age etc.
We have a family member who just applied and got a job but then insisted on doing less than the (already part time) hours so she could get more UC. We all think she is better off working, espcially as MIL is providing free wrap around childcare. I fell that if she does not take advantage of training opportunities and promotions then once her child grows up she will be stuck in a low paying job with little experience and greatly reduced benefits.

Why are you so defensive?

Because it often feels to me that many threads are started here to purpetuate this 'benefit cheat' attitude. ''On UC and living the life of riley'' stuff.

It's very Daily Mail.

Yeah, cos we all know this level of detail about random acquaintances and how foodbank users go week after week. But you just want to be told that it's obviously fraud or she's got an undeclared income from prostitution.

@Laiste Fair enough, thanks for replying. Not my thought, but I would have faith in people's honesty and be left wondering 🤷‍♀️

I just hate this narrowed eyed suspicion of who's 'poor enough' to need help. Who is ''deserving''. Who's having a fabulous time in their social housing and eating their food bank food who kind people have donated.

Maybe this woman is also ''kind''? 🙄

We don't know her. Neither does the OP! I don't think for a minute this is real, but the attitude this sort of thing whips up very much is.

No probs. My rant isn't aimed at you

I've been hanging about on MN for far too many years and the old ''are they poor enough'' shite gets my goat!

OP, this is MN. You are not allowed to question or ponder anything benefits claimants do. All benefits claimants are salt of the earth types that can do no wrong. It’s the working people, especially net contributors that are the bad ones. In fact life for benefits claimants would be so much better if there were no working people at all.

sst1234 · Today 10:51OP, this is MN. You are not allowed to question or ponder anything benefits claimants do

''benefit claimants'' Let's ponder what they do ....