Breadline kids

[ny20005]

This programme is absolutely heartbreaking 😩

Those poor kids & mums 😢😢😢😢

I felt sorry for johns sister she was 17 not in college. Guess it wasn’t funded then by time they get visa if she does at all she could well be over limit to get funded a levels then miss out on uni and just have rubbish jobs.

@Fionne the £62 was child tax credit so yes meant specifically for her son. However that's to cover everything not just food.
Her ds apprenticeship wage was no covering entertainment, bus fares, clothes , etc.

'Guess it wasn’t funded then by time they get visa if she does at all she could well be over limit to get funded a levels then miss out on uni and just have rubbish jobs.'

People don't do a-levels in Scotland. They can stay on at secondary school and do exams without extra funding. Was she 17 or 19? She may have already sat her higher exams.

Good point. I presumed because John was in school it was term time, didn’t know you did them at 17. Wasn’t sure if left school to look after her mum she seems fragile no suprised why.

I hope she has got exams to get her into uni and just waiting for visa!

Thanks MyDoc, Im Scottish but I’ve not lived in the UK for decades so I’m clueless as to what’s what.

I can’t explain what I feel about what the documentary highlighted but the families in the documentary were my people. I’ve known them all of my life except they had different names. My mum would walk to work with a very serious heart problem so we could have school dinners. The lady who worked in the bakery lived in the next closie up to me when I was a girl except her name was Margaret.

John and his familiy - who wouldnt be proud to know them and have them in their life?

The lady with the son who’s on the spectrum - I shall ever refer to my severely autistic 26 year old as having unique qualities. Why hadn’t I thought of it that way till now?

And the girl in Aberdeen? She surely must be a voice of the future alongside John and his sister and the other wee girl.

Decades ago I watched Cathy Come Home. I was very young, maybe about 8. This was another Cathy Come Home.

I have a friend who was in a similar situation to Johns family. Came to the uk as an asylum seeker from Burundi. Her application for the right to remain took 5 bloody years to be processed and concluded. During this time she was unable to work, wasn’t eligible to claim benefits and she and her little son were housed, clothed and fed by a refugee charity. Her right to remain was finally granted whereby she immediately was ineligible for support by the refugee charity and ended up living with a friend as she was homeless and with no means of supporting herself or her son, while waiting for the council to find temporary accommodation. All she wanted during that 5 years and the period just after was somewhere to live and a job. It was heartbreaking to see her struggle. There must be so many people in this sort of limbo and a johns older sister said, it messes with your head.

Really felt for the hand to mouth existence and constant fear of job loss or any sudden unexpected need for cash. So horrible to watch the anxiety and fear that caused.

I think the single parent with little girl had more of chance of improving because she only seeemed work part time Due to childcare. If she could found a full time job she would been bit better off. Or as we see on here no support to improve them once your child reaches 18 all your help ends and your trying support yourself without any top up benefits.

The carer situations woulnt ever improve really. Not unless one of her older children stayed out and helped once they got a proper job.

The lady with the son who’s on the spectrum - I shall ever refer to my severely autistic 26 year old as having unique qualities. Why hadn’t I thought of it that way till now?

Just to clarify that I do know my son has unique qualities but I dont use those words to describe him. I use other words that are just as appropriate but theres a ring to 'unique qualities' that sits really well with me and Im going to use it from now on.

I think the single parent with little girl had more of chance of improving because she only seeemed work part time Due to childcare. If she could found a full time job

The poor woman looked like a nervous wreck and I don't know if she had a full time job in her but I admit it crossed my mind as well for a moment two. Not that I have any right to be thinking of jobs for anyone given Ive never worked apart from before I got married.

Iceskating, that's a real eye opener. Thank you.

Found on iPlayer - sad :(

Only just watched this so late to the thread. So sad. I hope John's family have had their situation resolved. What a lovely little boy.

I don't understand why people have criticised the boy who bought the trainers. His mum said he earned £3.50 p/h, handed over £40 p/w and helped her out if she needed any extra money during the week. Surely he is then free to spend the rest on whatever he wants (as his mum said herself)? I was really moved when he explained he was motivated to work hard because he wanted his own children to have a different upbringing from his own. He is 17, a child really, and should not be responsible for keeping the household afloat.