to have a reaction to the programme last night- were a rich family helped out a poor family?

[raggitty555]

Did anyone see this - it felt strange prog to me..Although part s of the message appeared good i was unsure about the idea as a whole.. Also i was shocked to hear that the lady on benefits gets £ 250 pw and is considered to be on the poverty line ( quote from the programme-) that what i earn- we get no benefits and thats after a degree-I didnt know that I am poor !!

I watched this programme with my dd1 (10) because she really wanted to.

I cried my eyes out the whole way through at Sharon's position.

It did feel a bit strange to me. But I give to charities and would love to be able to see what difference I had made and get to know more about the children (and animals) that I have helped, but maybe I would be too embarrassed to actually hand over the gifts myself.

Yes the £250 does sound like a lot, especially with no rent or council tax, but i wouldn't like to try it first hand.

There was a thread about this is telly addicts.

To be considered to be living on the poverty line is to have an income of 60% or less of the median ( approx £400 per week after tax) which in the Uk is approx £250 per week. I think she would have to pay rent but this may be somewhat offset by housing benefit. I tried to work out whether we could live on £250 per week and I think we'd seriously struggle as food,rent and bills would take up £180 leaving us with £70 for clothes, trips out etc. We would definitely find it difficult if not impossible to run a car, have holidays,afterschool activities, nice xmas/birthdays. I can also understand why the lady was in debt as £250 per week would leave you with no contingency fund if anything expensive eg. washing machine, cooker, fridge broke down.
I felt sad for her children having to live in such a depressing place

Her children were a credit to her.

I watched the first part, but then got embroiled in a long conversation with DH about charity giving versus taxation, the 'deserving' and 'undeserving' poor, and the wider politics of the whole issue.

FWIW, I hate this kind of thing, no matter how well intentioned, genuinely needy and lovely the families involved are (and I think they were).

I had a similar reaction to the 'Secret Millionaire' series, posted here about it and was roundly ignored, so I think I'm in a minority.