£20 a month for food Sarah Montague BBC WATO interview

[thriftyhen]

I have been thinking about this ever since I heard the BBC World at One interview this lunchtime which Sarah Montague did with a lady from Leicestershire. It was in connection with the free school meals in holidays debate.

The interviewee explained that both she and her partner were disabled (multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease) and that they had two children. After all their bills, they were left with £5 each (ie £10) a week and that she and her husband had gone without dinner last night

I know nothing about the benefits system and have no idea how much they would be receiving a week, but how can it be possible that a family of four have £10 a week to cover food and presumably all other expenses that aren't bills?

Title should read £40.

It's so hard to generalise about these things. Really you'd need to see a break down of their income and outgoings to see where the problem lies.

It must depend on where they're living and what that costs. They will be receiving more benefits than most with children and disabilities but if they're still living in a large house with a mortgage that they bought when they were both well, for example, the bills will be high.