Breadline Children on C4. Anyone else watching?

[somewherewest]

Or just me?

Are there any charities that campaign on this issue? It's utterly barbaric that people are treated like this during there most desperate times.

What a sad programme. But I am very glad there is something to counter the lies and propaganda peddled by the government about people supposedly too lazy to get out of bed in the morning. This government won't accept that some people are poor through no fault of their own - their ideology is flawed and nasty.

Just watched this. The kids were all so lovely and bright.

I suspect drugs (as well as alcohol) were also an issue with the mum of the two girls (Susie was it?).

How do you know that Nancy?

I don't. Just my suspicions from her behaviour, appearance and drifting into prostitution

And? She was a sex worker trying to get away from it.

yeah... I know.
it's a thread for people to comment on TV shows. Those were my comments.

But it's an unfair assumption that because someone has turned to prostitution, they must be on drugs. Prostitution is what some people do when they're desperate for money. Even students do it to pay their way through college - I knew people who did who were not on drugs.

Maybe unfair. Drugs + prostitution usually go hand in hand though.

Also you can't necessarily tell someone is a drug user from their appearance - how judgemental.

I disagree.

Fine, you're allowed to disagree. I disagree with you too, I can certainly tell some drug users and alcoholics from their appearance (smokers too)

Well I would agree that smoking tends to damage your skin and cause lines in certain areas. But you can't always tell who's a smoker if they are lucky enough to have very good skin genes for example.

I don't see how mass generalisations can be made about individuals.

Perhaps people who have seen this this programme will now think twice before calling parents of sick children entitled grabby when they complain that they are not entitled to be fed whilst caring for their children in hospital.

That girl was like my DD. That family is like ours except me and OH were together and we had two other children.
I HAD to give up work. You can't work and support a child with luekemia.

It cost us thousands over two years because she will sick and like expat says you will spend anything to feed your child and make them smile.

It is the reality of so many parents of kids with cancer but not something that is acknowledged.

I can't tell you how many times I have been told by a HCP on MN that parents are far too demanding and should understand that they 'can't have it all'

My sons DLA was stopped whilst he was in hospital. My Carers allowance was stopped because I was not then caring for 35 hours a week, his care was coming out of public funds and he was not in receipt of DLA . I spent a fortune in taxi fares as there are no direct buses from my town to the hospital and I was just too knackered to hang around in the dark at bus stops. I am not on the breadline it must be truly awful for those families who are.

My son needs 1 to 1 watching over. When I left to go home to sleep I was replaced by someone from a care agency,I think the agency was charging about £20 an hour.

The mum who turned to prositution was doing it for her family to survive

Nancy she was doing it so that she could feed her kids and give them a treat once in a while.

IMO she was not on drugs. There has been a rise in prostitution since 2010 There is a recent poster on MN who has recently exited the industry and she said many single parents had entered the industry in the last four years due to changes in benefits etc. When the only choice is zero hours contracts/workfare. Or the sex industry (and the sex industry is the only one of the three providing a steady REGULAR income) what do you expect. But yes all those single parents that have enntred the industry in the past 4 years must all be on drugs according to you

And turquoise the only thing its got to do with benefit fraud is the punitive measures that have been put in place to deal with the huge amount of benefit fraud that DOESNT EXIST. Its these measures and the propaganda in the papers and the placating of Daily Mail readers that are causing these problems for people like Naomi and the single parent in the film.

The Government need to take a good look at the financial impact on families who have children or adults who have long term health conditions. The stress of frequent and long term stays in hospital should not be compounded by a slide into poverty and reliance on a food bank and returning to cold living conditions.

Don't you think it is pretty horrific that she felt she would be judged more for claiming benefits than she would be for being a sex worker.

I don't judge either but lets be honest, society does not look upon sex work as decent and respectable.

Yet we have got to the point where claimants are so demonised they are considered lower than prostitutes.

That has to be a first surely? Even if Victorian times it went 1.ask for charity 2. death 3. sell your body
in order of acceptable options when you were destitute.

I agree Devere

And lets not lose sight of the fact that its the sex work that's providing a higher chance of a regular income.
Rather than other jobs because of zero hour contracts low wages and workfare.

Yes. She is also her own boss and she doesn't have to find childcare.
In her mind she was doing what was best for her kids.
She clearly has an open relationship with them. I have rarely seen such an articulate and grounded child as her older girl.

Unfortunately we know that she was putting them at risk of physical and emotional damage.

Because she wanted to do what she thought was the right thing.

How screwed is our society?

I bet you that there are people out there who, whilst repulsed by her 'job', agree that she should be doing it rather than asking for 'handouts' out of 'their' taxes.

People who oppose the welfare state are rarely the sort of people who are liberal and understanding when it comes to women and the sex industry

YY Devere Apparently there was a work and pensions debate this afternoon.
IDS calls what they are doing "a moral crusade"

I lost two stone fast in those first three months she was ill.