I've only read the first few pages of this thread, so forgive me if I am repeating what someone else has said.
Objectivity, I think you were well within you rights to start this thread, and to make the comments based on your experience and situation. I don't understand what some peoples problems are that makes them so bitchy and aggressive. Women work, don't work, live off their husbands, live on benefits, run their own business, or just live on the amount of money they have.
The point people were missing here is that the government sets an amount that they say is the minimum needed to live on. They are not giving you money for, sky, broadband, nights out, organic food, new shoes etc. This means that anyone who can't work, such as me and the op and thousands of other women should buy crap food, pay our gas and electric bills, wear second hand clothes and sit at home and be miserable. Does it?
People who work do not pay for me to be home bringing up my children, once my children are old enough to be in school I will go out to work and pay taxes, which will very quickly cover the pathetic amount given to me over the last couple of years.
The way prices of things have gone up is horrible, to find you are having to put back food that you actually need because it has come to too much is awful, and embarrassing and makes me angry that I can't give my children the best, and healthiest options.
I do not smoke, I do not drive, I do not go on holidays, or nights out, I get given clothes by my sisters. I do not have sky, I don't get haircuts, I have a pay as you go mobile and no landline. I live in a very small 2 bed house with 3 children.
I get £59 a week to live on for myself, £312 a month for my children and child benefit which you get whether you work or not. This doesn't feel to me like society values mothers and the job they do, I am bringing up children who will go on to work and contribute to our country and yet I get payed the absolute minimum they can legally get away with giving me.