Britain's Hidden Hunger

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Anyone else watching this.

Very sad viewing really quite shocking.

Feel bad for the single mum and twins. Awful situation.
But the mum with 5 kids - they seem to have been on the breadline for years, why have 5 kids (the youngest is 4)? All I can think of it must be lack of education around contraception. The Pill is free so I really don’t understand, and if you’re very fertile don’t have sex around that time as an extra precaution.

Which channel was this on please?

ITV

I wish on these sorts of programmes they would explain a bit about the finances to help us understand better - how much benefit/wage is coming in each week , how much is rent,utilities,food,travel etc . I am really fortunate that I am have never been in their situation and feel such sympathy for the people shown and there is obviously a big problem in the system somewhere .The people at the food banks were so kind and caring ,such decent people . A thought provoking programme

I know the little boy who went with his mum to the church cafe and they have him a free meal.

He was so sweet.

I agree though the mum of saying she was a budding journalist when she doesn't even has fcse English needs a reality check. Her youngest is starting school so surely she could get a job in a supermarket

I’m not being funny but none of them are starving are they really?

This programme made me want to shout at the telly and I only got as far as the first two families. Why the bloody hell are a family living on one minimum wage having 5 kids? The mum with no GCSEs saying she's 'a budding journalist' too - talk about utterly deluded.

As for the single mum spending all her money on petrol, why the bloody hell isn't her mum getting a home help from the council if they're all so hard up? Why is she running her DD ragged? Surely the dad could be putting a wash on and pushing a hoover round? Why is he making a convenience of his poor DD when he isn't disabled? Lazy sod.

I'm inclined to agree that these programmes are often pretty useless by failing to provide vital information. This one actually started with a child explaining that food was the most important item of expenditure. You're then left wondering why (at least some of) the families shown seemed to be prioritising other things over feeding the kids. Without knowing what the family income and budget is I felt none the wiser.

I don't understand being a couple on one minimum wage and having 5 children, a cat, 2 hamsters and a dog.
I just don't. I hate feeling horrible having that thought, but I do.

I can only afford one child in the lifestyle that I want her to have.

A sad programme.

23 years ago ex DH left me for OW with DD5 and DS4
Due to my disabilities I couldn’t work and lived on benefits
In those days maintenance was deducted from your benefits
We also lived in a house with a mortgage so couldn’t get rent paid etc
My income was 10p a week over the threshold that meant I had to pay full council tax - couldn’t get free prescriptions etc
I paid mortgage first
Then the bills
Then fed DC
Some weeks I survived on hot water and dry toast
I lost 8.5 stone
Thankfully my health improved and eventually I began to do bits of part time work, sold things on eBay etc
I’ve never forgotten how bad it was and now work for a charity supporting people with issues around disability benefits

Foxton20

I’m not being funny but none of them are starving are they really?

I think you've missed the point of the programme.

Having 5 children whatever your circumstances is bonkers IMO.

Who knows what may happen in life. You could fall on hard time or you or your partner could die. Being a single parent with 2 children is always going to be a lot easier than having 5? To bring up 5 children in comfort these days must cost an incredible amount when you think of feeding that many mouths and housing then sufficiently. Children tend to get more and more expensive as they get older IME. Only a small percentage of the population could truly afford that many children.

There is a real poverty problem in this country however and I think the real problem lies with the cost of housing and I am sure there is a correlation between housing cost and poverty. It shocks me so much how much it costs to rent property and I live in a middling area when it comes to the cost of rent. If you pay for your gas an electricity on a prepayment basis this is significantly more expensive too. Does anyone know why this is the case? Wages are also far too low. I earn c. £20k full time and there is no way I could support my 2 children, run a house and run a car on that. We would survive I guess but we would struggle big time.

In the program there was no mention of child maintenance being paid for the lady with the three children, I know this can make a huge difference to a single parents circumstance if this is being paid or not.