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Cutting Edge: Pram Face

199 replies

VanishingLadyAppears · 11/08/2006 09:49

Monday 9.00pm channel 4

I'm definitely watching this and I hate to admit it but years ago i was infact one of those ignorant people who thought young girls had babies to get houses, benefits etc etc. I saw the clips for the show and felt so sorry for the girl who was upset about her child living in a cold house, but i suppose there are going to be folk who say you made your bed lie in it. This is going to be a very interesting and sad watch

OP posts:
jamsambam · 15/08/2006 12:11

i have to agree with fattiemumma, its so wrong to judge, but its imho shocking to judge a person because they have a hifi, or a dvd..i had a tv and video when i was in the smae situation, but as i couldnt afford a liscence, it wasnt pluggedin to the ariel. so, that kept my son happy for a hour a day when things were really bad, but if someone had siad "oh look, she has a tv and video...." i would have flattened them..

alicemama · 15/08/2006 12:15

Missed this lasst night as round looking after mum, just come out of hospital...
Will it be repeated or can I borrow a copy off somebody?

charliecat · 15/08/2006 12:15

If you are on minimum wage or even a couple of quid over with the rent and the council tax and the travel to work/school costs as well as school trips and school swimming lessons as well as rising gas and electric you can be in the same situation not on benefits without the interest free loans and free school dinners that being on benefits brings.
And if you own your own home but you have no savings and your cooker goes bust youve had it.

KathyMCMLXXII · 15/08/2006 12:16

Oooh, you must be using posh bodysuits, QP - a five-pack from Primark costs £2.50

Yes, you get the feeling that while the mums like these girls get pushed to the absolute limit of their ability, the men are able to just wander in and out as the mood takes them. Presumably they are also on benefits so they're not assessed as having any more than £2.50 a week to spare, but then, they don't seem to be contributing much in kind either (ie the girls work like mad to look after the kids but the fathers don't seem to need to even do that....)

Quootiepie · 15/08/2006 12:17

i think the days should contribute money & time by law.

Quootiepie · 15/08/2006 12:18

dads.

no... not posh!

compo · 15/08/2006 12:20

But they didn't give the dad's side of the story so it's hard to judge them. Ten one who visited for 4 months seemed nice etc and when she spoke about him it sounded like he wanted to make a go of it but she was too independent by then. She might have told him he couldn't see them any more for all we know...

expatinscotland · 15/08/2006 12:21

I agree, charlie.

I've known PLENTY of people who were working poor who where thrown into abject poverty.

We were left to live on £13,000/pa - BEFORE any tax and NI - which is below the poverty threshhold, when the tax credits people said they'd overpaid us and yanked our credits entirely.

And responsible for full rent, power and council tax. In the 3rd most expensive city in the UK for housing costs.

There were tens of thousands of families - and still are - in the same boat.

We were still working away, forced into debt and some into homelessness.

It's not exclusively the domain of single mums on benefits.

A lot of people think it is, though. They don't realise how divided a society Britain (and the US as well) are becoming/have become.

KathyMCMLXXII · 15/08/2006 12:24

I thought the commentary said it was him that had decided not to see the kids any more?
The other mum, the one with Cody, might have been different though.

compo · 15/08/2006 12:25

yes, but we don't know if he actually said that do we? That's my ppoint - we can't judge the fathers when they haven't been interviewed themselves.

Quootiepie · 15/08/2006 12:33

ive gotta say... DH and I only get tax credits, and the child benefit. I think id be allowed more as ive suffered severe depression which forced me out of work, but I choose not to. We have just about managed to buy our own house and provide the best for our DS. This week a pipe burst and somehow we have to find the money to fix it- fair enough, its our problem. DHs friend has a 3 bed council house, decorated for them, all types of benefits and he earns more than my DH! When they have a burst pipe, its fixed for them- free. They have about double the disposable income as us. Sometimes it makes you wonder what your busting your guts for. On the other hand, them 2 girls should not be living in those conditions in 2006. This whole country is upside down

KathyMCMLXXII · 15/08/2006 12:33

No, I suppose we don't, Compo. I was taking the commentary pretty much at face value but it would be interesting to see a similar documentary about the fathers.

I am judging them by the ones I see on Jeremy Kyle though

Quootiepie · 15/08/2006 12:34

Ditto Kathy! Jeremy Kyle really has founded my views on dads in this country... biased I guess.

1Baby1Bump · 15/08/2006 12:45

i dont want to be attacked for saying this and please be assured i am not racist, but why do we keep allowing more and more people to come and get council houses and benefits etc when we cant even look after these girls?
the little boy who got phumonia (sp) made me cry.

mumfor1standfinaltime · 15/08/2006 13:31

I am very interested in this strange theory of the 'council decorating your house for you'. This have never been the case where we live! In our City you are entitiled to a 'decorating allowance' which is around £90. This can only be claimed if you are on 'all the right benefits'.

I lived in a council maisonette when I first moved in with dh about 10 yrs ago, I wasn't working as my temporary job had finished and dh was only earning £110 a week. I couldn't claim a single penny as I had no children. We had to pay full rent etc and bills and run a car as dh had to drive to his job. We couldn't get the decorating allowance.

Living in council/social housing is not easy whether you have children are single, married whatever. It is hard work. You do have to cope with dodgy paintwork, no plumbing for a washing machine (which we had to pay a contractor for) holes in the sink (we had to buy a new bathroom sink when we moved in as council wouldn't replace it, wanted to charge £159, we went and bought one from builders merchant for £20 and fitted it) no worktops, no plugs in the kitchen whatsoever leading to extension cables all over the place, piss in the lift upto the maisonette, hmmm lovely.

We are now in a 2 bed ha house which is a new build. We can't afford to buy our own home.

TheLadyVanishes · 15/08/2006 14:56

it was really sad and a total eye opener, i can't believe councils or local authorities can allow anyone to live in properties in that state! (tho i suppose some are better than others) they both should be really proud of themselves

And without sounding patronising I'm thankful for my lot

Mog · 15/08/2006 15:06

Can I ask those of you who've been in the same situation, was it a nightmare to try and entertain the kids all the time. The mum last night seemed to go out a lot with them but she did mention that it was all a bit monotonous. Think the day after day grind of it is what would get me down.

As I said before she had such lovely kids. Mine would have been whinging or scrapping with each other if they didn't have anything to do.

expatinscotland · 15/08/2006 15:30

'i can't believe councils or local authorities can allow anyone to live in properties in that state! '

Plenty of private, buy to let landlords house people in similar conditions.

Blondilocks · 15/08/2006 22:38

I'm sorry I missed the programme now.

I still don't see why mums smoke though. I know loads of people who gave up to protect their baby's health & then never took it up again. Surely it's better in the long run to give up. I really can't stand people smoking near children especially ones that aren't theirs. (My OH's Grandparents did this near LO. It made me so angry!) The money factor is only a small part of it.

All I can say is I'm glad my parents didn't kick me out when I had my daughter.

twinsetandpearls · 16/08/2006 10:33

Mog one of the reasons dd has always done so many activities was because home was so grim so it was our escape.

When I lived in the hostel they used to kick us out for a few hours a day as all the floors were concrete which during the day were swilled over with water so you couldn't be in. When you are in a Band B you are often kicked out after breakfast as well and not allowed back in till tea time.

My dd was never bored though, I worked hard at keeping her entertained there are parks, the beach, the promenade, mother and toddler groups.

twinsetandpearls · 16/08/2006 10:35

expatinscotland where we live the private landlords are worse, I had to rent privatly as my ex had so much money ( none of which was coming my way) and came from a very well known family in the town that I had no chance of getting a council flat or any kind of social housing.

JennyLee · 16/08/2006 11:27

If well off pople can find it hard to give up smoking ho wthe hell are these poor grils supposed to...just like that. also they went out on a loan they got, not their weekly money and when somone would look after the kids which was a collection of circumstances which did not occur very often for them. it made me sad too , is awful that they did not even have help from their families.

pendulum · 16/08/2006 21:05

While watching this I wondered if there is any way to give my DD's old stuff directly to girls like Alla. Even 50p for a charity shop item would have been too expensive on her budget but I have sacks full of clothes and toys.It made me so sad to think I could fill her kids' stockings for free with my cast-offs.

Anyone got any idea whether such schemes exist?

Blossomhill · 16/08/2006 21:13

I would be horrified if my own dd was living like these girls were.

It's not living at all.

twinsetandpearls · 16/08/2006 21:24

Charities like Homestart will take clothes from you and give them out.