Breadline Children on C4. Anyone else watching?

[somewherewest]

Or just me?

I'm just starting it.

Addenbrookes is our nearest hospital, the parking charges are really high. You can get a discount if you've got a long-term condition, but it still costs quite a bit.

I feel so angry on behalf of all these families, but especially the girl with leukaemia. Her dad is coping with a seriously ill child and is having to turn the heating off because otherwise they can't afford to eat.

What sort of society do we want to live in? Surely not one where people are having to live like this.

Keep in mind, that with paeds, there are usually only certain places they can be treated. So that's where you have to travel. It's not a choice.

And when the patient cannot use public transport, it means taxis or a car.

My brother was in end stage renal failure.
He had 6 operations during his illness.
Every time he was admitted to hospital his DLA was stopped.

I don't necessarily judge people who have laptops etc. I was mostly brought up by my grandparents on a combination of low incomes jobs and benefits. I guess some people would have judged them for smoking and buying scratch cards and having a TV, but they had no other comforts in their lives - never went out, never went on holidays.

I never realised that about DLA stopping. It's just...inhumane. I hate what's happened to this country.

It's absolutely awful the way this government treats disabled people and those with serious illnesses. It's a crime against humanity to effectively withdraw someone's living allowance because they are in hospital having treatment. Their bills and living expenses don't automatically stop because they are an in patient.

My mum was in and out of hospital when I was a child and her dla was frequently witheld. I have memories of going down the back of sofas with my dad to find pennies in the hope we might be able to go to the shops (my mum had severe physical problems but also schizophrenia so was often sectioned and my dad looked after me).

I feel so sad about the state of the poorest in our country.

How ironic, Jamie's 'Money Saving Meals', in which he uses an oven for hours and hours.

And what they are not telling you about Naomi is that she has another year and a half of maintenance chemo.

You don't just get cancer, it's treated and then it's 'back to normal'. PMSL!

The situation is disgraceful. All of the children featured are amazing though.Eloquent, thoughtful a credit to their families. I really wish they and their families didn't have to go through this. It's disgusting. Shame on all of us.

Any time Naomi takes ill, spikes a temp, whatever, she must go back to hospital. For years. She has to go back for blood screenings and other appointments. A lot. For years.

This is assuming she does not relapse.

1 in 4 of all those who develop cancer in childhood will go on to get a secondary cancer. Many are left with long-term disabilities.

I've just cried watching this, I'm furious!
I've also managed to email my local foodbank who are looking for volunteers for a supermarket collection whilst watching this.

The kids on this programme were absolutely gorgeous. So insightful and perceptive.

It's horrendous to think of kids in this country growing up in food poverty. It's unforgivable, really.

Energy and gas means a lot of people will need a foodbank to keep the power going. They can either have leccy or food.

They were old before their time though, weren't they? They seemed wise beyond their years.

My daughter is.

Her gran gave her the DVD of Frozen. She watched it once. Once.

I said, 'How'd you find it?'

'It's for babies who live in fairy world. That girl is a goon. Dead people don't come back. What a load of hooey.'

And that was that. Sold it used on Play.

Out of the mouths of babes. I started a thread in AIBU when the doctors report came out saying that many people couldn't afford to eat healthily and I clearly remember dawndonna and expat in Scotland having to drive it home to another poster that hospital transport is not free.

expat

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/a2068493-To-be-sad-and-appalled-that-a-healthy-diet-is-now-beyond-the-reach-of-many

I came onto see if anyone had seen this too,I was truly horrified watching it and reading about the details of the DLA on this thread has highlighter that the situation is even worse than shown. How can we as a nation be in this state? It's so depressing and corrupt.

Ah....but "we are all in this together" remember!?
Fucking Tories.
Immoral and obscene.

Yeah, bring on the free taxis for immunocompromised children! Hahaha!!!

DD1, had she lived, could not have set foot on any form of public transport for two years. TWO.

When she was home for all of 2.5 weeks, the council had to send a home tutor. She was not eligible to go to school and again, would not have been, nor her sister or brother.

She would have required day treatment in hospital approximately 3x/week for 18 months, then regular appointment for five years. And at the hint of even a sniffle, admission to the unit, day or night for years.

Three months, folks! The CLIC social worker had the form waiting for us to sign on the day of the 3 month mark.

It was approved in a week.

Until then, it was charity and help from family to pay the rent, buy food and power (she fell ill in winter), pay for diesel for DH to visit the hospital and relieve me, plus the money I needed for the fares home as DD1 was petrified of being left alone, being only 8 years old.

He could not be a job seeker, as he was unavailable for work, being out in the sticks with a 3 and 6-year-old and no drop of the hat sitters, but had to leave his job voluntarily, but not eligible for income support as he was not a lone parent. No more crisis loans, either.

A crappy, min wage, zero hours job with no benefits.

And people spraff all kinds of bullshit about how DLA provides a life of Riley.

i watched it. A mixture of anger, frustration, embarassment and fear.
I wasnt surprised by any of it but it is a disgrace that people have been pushed to this.

Those kids are fab - wonderful kids and I honestly dont know how their parents/ carers keep going. The daily stress and grind they go through.

I grew up in real poverty in the 80's. We were lucky to live in the country where my dad shot / killed / poached food to keep us going and my mum used a patch of land to grow vegetables. That meant we at least had some kind of food most of the time.

I am so so so incredibly lucky that both DP and I have steady work, are able to keep DD warm, fed and clothed.

After watching this I went and re-read my SIL's blog. A London yummy mummy who lunches out each day and posts her menus and associated costs. In the past week she has spent almost 280 on breakfasts and lunch alone.

This inequality sickens me....

expat I also think that people on gas and electric meters should not pay more than those paying by direct debit. It is a national scandal. If anything those who need it most should receive discounted energy.