Benefits Britain Series1 Episode 10

i wouldn't say i'm in poverty but i'm not far off poverty with over 400 000 single parents in the uk claiming benefits raising kids alone can be tough i'm not having any more kids one is it's plenty it's hard enough there is no me anymore it's just caitlyn when it's just mom or dad finding a job and juggling children is a challenge you can stay on there for most parents their kids are the most important thing in their lives but when money's a constant worry even putting food on the table can be a real struggle i had no milk and offered no cereal no no pills and how can you please help me i didn't have in that to decide whether it was bread i've got or milk a lot and as the benefits budget gets squeezed relying on the state as a single parent means life is harder than ever it's like nearly 3 000 pounds worth of debt at the moment [Music] ealing west london 27 year old craig recently became a single parent after splitting up with his ex stand still baby craig claims income support as he says he can't work while he's busy looking after three-year-old daughter caitlin last week he and caitlin moved into their first flat of their own this is the bathroom which is i think pretty big and then uh the front room what caitlyn's just messed up it's good it's decent size and you can't hear the traffic which is a good thing for craig having his own flat for the first time is a welcome change from what he's been used to we were in literally one bedroom at my mum and dad's house and she was at the end of my bed she was in that bed at the end of my bed and i only had a single this is a much bigger room than we were in more space but having lived with his parents his whole life the cost of renting has come as a shock since the tennessee agreement rent 1310 10p per calendar month craig's rent is paid for by housing benefits and he also gets around 600 pounds in other benefits a month but he says it's a struggle managing money at the moment is uh very tight yeah i have to sacrifice some things for others that i've um i've got paid today 80 pound and i've already put 20 pounds on the gas this leaves me with 53 53 pound i bought two sausage oils and a packet of that's how i treat myself a packet of fangs and a haircut here and there gonna have a coconut biscuit i haven't got any biscuits we gotta get some asdas look let's take them fridge is empty i like being here and with caitlin on my own is my own space and independent independency is good i'm going to do the snap now roll your sleeves up then good that i've got this first for first place and then when she gets a bit older and i could get a two bedroom but at the moment we'll just make do with this for now at least we've got a roof over our head and in it caitlin yeah yeah across the country in cheshire what are you going to do out there unemployed single mom lauren is also finding life as a single parent a struggle these that's not on so do you know where you're gonna go oh my set lauren lives in a two-bedroom house with two-year-old son taylor she's not worked since dropping out of college and falling pregnant at 18. [Music] no you're going back on there now when you have a baby and you're young that's all you've got because i kind of lost all of my friends he is really the only friend that i have right you're going to sit there until you stay there 21 year old lauren's been claiming income support of 70 pounds a week for the last three years i don't like being on benefits i hate it you know like if if someone asks you what you do for a job you know if you if you do meet someone and they say oh what do you do for a living then you're like oh i sign on that's that's not good is it no one takes people seriously when they're sat on their ass really doing nothing all day but that's obviously that's not the case but for someone who doesn't know me they're gonna sit there and think well you're a single mum on benefits that's the norm [Music] one two three most mornings lauren and best friend nicola take their children off to nursery lauren's been single since splitting up with taylor's dad over a year ago and can't see herself in another relationship but single mum of five nicola disagrees i think you need a fella why it's just one of them things aren't yeah but at the same time the baby's not his responsibility is that like when i meet someone they know i've got a kid but like obviously if you start a proper relationship that's different isn't it because it's all right sitting there saying it theoretically but if someone's actually there every day around your kid you don't know they're gonna take that but so you're gonna be single for the rest of your life until taylor is like 20 years [Music] old in burnley 40 year old single mom joanne had her first daughter at 18. eight years ago she got pregnant with her second child ellie after a brief relationship be gentle promise unemployed joanne receives 316 pounds a month in jobseeker's allowance but she says she's unable to make ends meet and has got herself deep into debt i wouldn't say i'm in poverty but i'm not far off poverty my electric debt i think i don't know whether this is the final bill but i found one from october and it's um 114 and 88 pence but i have paid paid some off towards it so they might be extending i might get a revised one soon i don't know when joe also gets 368 pounds a month in housing benefits but because she got behind on the wrench she was worried about being evicted and so it's now paid directly to her landlord this is ella's room i've got stickers side because it hasn't been decorated this is the wall that they insulated they used to be a heater a gas heater but they had to cut it off because it was dangerous so there's no heating in here whatsoever yeah so for the mess in the bedroom after running up a huge electricity bill joanne is now on a pre-pay meter but if she doesn't keep it topped up she's left without power i'm on 3.67 on the electric and it's an emergency but the electric will probably run out over weekend anyway because it doesn't last that long so i'm in debt with water i'm in debt with council attacks from two years ago it's like nearly three thousand pounds worth of debt at the moment so i just want to try and get get it paid off if i can but in political lifetime the amount money i'm on coming up joanne's resigning herself to a life on the dole it does bore you confident because there's nobody willing to give you a chance craig's worried about a threat to his and caitlyn's health i was getting headaches i called the ssc to get a carbon monoxide meter and they turned all the gas off and meet the clairvoyant mum of six who didn't foresee a life on benefits i've got all the senses clear audient claire sentient a lot of all the claire's basically there's a lot of players and i've got all of them [Music] in west london 27 year old craig's life has changed beyond recognition since he became a single parent to three-year-old daughter caitlin skills will be gone by tomorrow probably do i see each other before i had her i was pretty babied bye my mum and dad always did everything for me before becoming a dad craig was often in trouble with the police and has a string of minor convictions all that changed when caitlyn arrived as a single parent on low income i've got to put my priorities first and so i don't get into that and i don't lose where i live and it all comes down to caitlyn at the end of the day craig's struggling to manage the household finances so today he's off to open a bank account if i don't have an account i can spend the money on something else like that i don't really need or instead of paying the bills which is most important prioritize my money better up until now craig's been turned down by the bank due to his bad credit rating hi there i've got an appointment he's hoping today will be different but it's not good news like last time they said ah um we gotta do some more checks so we can't give you an account number or a card i'll give you a call tomorrow and let you know what what more checks on all this so i don't know if i'll get it now with no bank account and only enough benefits to get by craig now puts his needs after his daughters i can't treat myself at all now i don't treat myself caitlyn comes first no matter what if kate lane got something she gets it before i do and that's all there is to it i don't think about myself anymore and when he's down to his last pennies he has to weigh up which of caitlyn's needs he can afford because it's the end of the week um i'm not left with much money and uh i had to decide handing out one pound 50 and that to decide whether it was bread i've got or milk i've got and milk was the priority in that that instance because kaitlyn needs a cereal in the morning but jay brush your hair and put your hair up come on in wallsall 49 year old single mom sue has six children from five different marriages she currently lives with her two youngest romeo who's 11 and jade who's 12. mom i've done my tie [Music] receives over 1 700 pounds in benefits every month which includes the rent on her three-bedroom house even though she's been unemployed for the last 10 years she only sees limited value in education i'm done seriously all that stuff you learn at school you don't need it when you leave school usually you don't i mean i've never done a fraction since i left school and plus i can use my phone to add things up you need your hat and gloves on jay have fun where's my kiss then you later mom boy once the kids are at school have fun straight home from school sue has plenty of time on her hands for her hobby practicing her psychic powers you're going to be successful in whatever you do whatever you've got like fairy dust on you if you feel it's in your heart that's what you want to do then go for it because that's we live with your heart not with your head she believes she has the ability to predict people's futures well i'm clairvoyant which means i've got all the senses claire audrey and claire sentient all the claire's basically there's a lot of players and i've got all of them but sue failed to foresee a life on benefits for herself being a single mom is hard because you're having to be a mom and a dad to two kids i basically have to watch what i spend money on i have to watch what i do with my money money is a thing where you have to watch your pennies yeah you know what i mean and it is hard going sue claims as a single parent with two children she's better off on benefits if i could find a job that i was like in between and that could pay the money and and do everything and still look live quite comfortable and stuff like that and yeah you know i'd be happy to do that you know i mean i would i would but the thing is you still got to be there emotionally for the kids you still got to be i mean who's going to look after them you know the end of the day you're going to have to pay someone to be with them straight from school you're going to have to pay for for clubs you're going to have to pay for it so really when you weigh everything up wouldn't you be better off you know being there for the children yourself in burnley 40 year old single mom joanne is desperate to find a job after six months being unemployed she says she doesn't want her eight-year-old daughter to have the same life i want to work once she proved my daughter my youngest daughter you have to go out there and earn a money can't live get free money i don't want to have free money i want to have my own money joanne receives over 3000 pounds a year in jobseeker's allowance today is her monthly review but she's worried the job centre will say she's not working hard enough to find employment and her dole money will be cut i am worried in case i get sanctioned today because i don't know whether i've done enough and if i get sanctioned again it might affect the housing benefit you know that might get halfed or stopped because my income um because my job saying the allowance has been stopped if i get stopped that gets so and it's run on and then i get threatened with eviction joanne says being long-term unemployed has taken its toll i've only ever had one one interview in the last eight to the years and it does lower your confidence because there's nobody willing to give you a chance i just need someone to give me that little bit of a chance of going to do some training anything just to get me out my off my backside and out my house but joanne's immediate priority is passing her review as she's hoping to keep her benefits just went in i saw my advisor he said well the computer's not working properly so he didn't really give me a review to be honest because he couldn't get into the system i think you're bringing me good luck i need a doctor you really want a doctor no for coughing yeah really are you sure we need your doctor icing oh i bet you do i bet you doing bedtime you need to doctor ice cream hey toy in cheshire single mom lauren has struggled to find a job since having her son taylor a night baby but now lauren has decided she wants to get off benefits and back to work she's dreaming of a career in the army as she's been told she'll get free child care going into the army now at this at this point in time in my life with giving how old my son is and not having the hours spare to actually you know go and do a nine-to-five job a proper proper job in the outside world it's probably probably is the best option to apply for a job in the army lauren needs a medical certificate costing 40 pounds but she says she can't afford it on her benefits and her only hope is to persuade the job centre to pay for it they've literally got the power to tell me no you we can't do the funding and then it's either a case of i give up or i do try and save the money but then it's a case of again not paying bills or getting into more dirt because obviously i can't i can't not spend that money on shopping for food and stuff because then that means the baby goes without and that's obviously not an option it just means more debt if they don't if they can't help me tomorrow so i think everything is riding on that your jaw would you want your fish fire for dinner yeah yeah okay am i safe and you're shaped yeah craig and three-year-old caitlyn are still getting used to their new life in west london they've only been in their flat for two weeks but craig's worried it's not safe i was getting headaches and wondering why they were so i called the ssc to get a carbon monoxide meter feed and they um turned around and asked me if i was getting any symptoms and i was waking up with headaches three days in a row and they um sent someone out and turned all the gas off so i've got my gasket dinner in the microwave until the gas people come and turn it back on again as long as she's eating that's the main thing one day your microwave meals like that we are cake then it's really hot yeah so be careful blow it before you try it all right yes yeah it's gonna drink wow would you want orange yeah all right moving into their own home may have had its problems but craig is taking on the challenge i've always wanted to be a parent i didn't expect to be a single parent to be honest with you but that's just the way things went and i dealt with it how any parent should really help single moms deal with it they just get on with it so that's about to do this is what i normally do stand at the window when katie is in bed and just watch it's not a bad view really hang around directory there's always something happening like i know i love cars i know there isn't there you like looking out the window too don't you okay then craig may be without gas but it's not the first time he's had to make do since moving here the first night we stayed here we had no we got we had no gas either because i was putting money on the gas and it was paying off someone's debt the previous occupied debt and i didn't have a mattress on my bed either so i slept in here and i had no covers i slept in here with my coat over me felt homeless even though i had a roof over my head it was funny remember you had to come and sleep on social with me are you cold now uh yeah oh yeah yeah hi that's why you're not waiting it's not on it's not on no it's not one dad that's when he sugar we'll see in burnley [Music] sam oh hi joanne's getting a visit from eldest daughter sam what are you after and see if that's all right yes positives sam's also a single mom on benefits and is struggling to feed her two children it's like now i've got kids in my own i understand what you had to do yeah for me to have them covered doing it all that full belly but it's worse yeah sam's situation means she occasionally has to rely on the family for money speaking about that my dad was really good for that if i actually sunday night around him balling my eyes out because of the fact that i had no milk i had no bread no cereal no nothing i was a dad can you please albert yeah daddy he came out and he bought me a wingspan for shopping you know what i bet i always make sure i've got it bread and jam jumbo for week whatever it's food it doesn't matter yeah i know but if we have to live off that we have to live off it we've done it before aren't we alive i'm supposed to be a parent i was supposed to prefer for me or because i shouldn't have to ask other people for help joanne's around three thousand pounds in debt so she can't help out really upsets me i don't like to see my children crying like that i just wish i could be the person she turns to once a bit of shopping that's why i want to be working and i've like extra 10 to 20 pound in my pocket and then yeah go to shop get some bread milk whatever you need gas and electric fat you know fat reach on gas and electric and turn it there for a bit of shopping you can always get a bag full of shopping for a tanner you already should made me cry she'll say a little bit because she's struggling we do a little bit don't worry but we get through it and got a team full of biscuits the last all week brought that we've got food in coming up sue wants to swap her council house with the help of the cosmos because i'm clairvoyant i put out into the universe that i wanted to move so that's how it works caitlyn plays hide and seek with craig's keys where did you put my keys kate down oh my god it's really annoying and lauren's coming to terms with her life choices i do feel sometimes like i am a let i had baby young and i've not really done much with my life [Music] don't forget you've got to go and have it registered where what that's what i'm doing in it in west london craig is on the phone to his mom text me or something to let me know you've got your card done already struggling to cope with his finances he's now lost his travel card oh and it's half the adult price so instead of you putting 21 pounds on it you only have to put 10 pounds okay craig's just discovered because he's on benefits he can get a half-price travel card the normal oyster for the week will cost 21.20 so um half of that which i don't know 10 pounds something is uh what i'm hoping to pay every week now are we getting ready then to go alien yeah where's your hat but his travel card is not the only thing to have gone missing i've misplaced my keys oh my god where are they now katelyn you know i'm playing with him have you no and he's trying to get to the shops before they close where did you put my keys cake down no you had them [Applause] oh my god this is really annoying oh man [Music] a quick trip to the station and craig has his new travel card ah there's our bus there right in front of us it's gone now i've only had to put a 10 pound 60 on the oyster card it gives me more money to spend on shopping which is good because now i can do a proper shop rather than having only 20 quid to spend on shopping which i was a bit worried about because i don't know if that would have got me down the rest of their week in like meals and things like that but now i know i've got i'm clear i can get good a decent amount of shopping to get us down so yeah i'm happy about that craig spends around 30 pounds a week on food shopping but even with the added 10 pounds saving from his half-price travel he's still trawling the basics aisle it was a good shot today i think the money i get after so social or benefits is just enough to get by because i'm still having to buy it as the smart price staff really if if i had more money i wouldn't have to go to as the smart price stuff i could get extra special if we could call it the top of the range so yeah it's just enough to get by i would say [Music] oh my god he's actually just slapped him in cheshire lauren is getting ready for a crucial meeting at the job center she's hoping they'll agree to pay for the 40-pound medical certificate she needs to apply for her dream job in the army you're not coming off until you've said sorry hopefully today at the job center they tell me they can fund my medical letter for the army because that would be a big help with helm with it costing 40 pounds for a medical letter so i'm hoping they say yeah lauren has asked her mom to drive her to her appointment she's not confident of getting the answer she wants and she's already getting worked up about it all i need is them to write a check or something that can just be taken to the doctors i don't want the money probably say no but if you're an alcoholic yeah or a drug addict well yeah get more money you get that habit funded yeah and i don't see the sense in that for me i'd lock them in a cage and let them but that's what i'm saying like if they don't give me the funding today for for the letter then that's disgusting if lauren can't persuade the job centre to pay for her medical certificate she says she'll be stuck on benefits 30 minutes later it's not good news they've basically said if i can go to the recruitment office and get a formal letter offering me a job then they will fund it but i don't think that that's gonna happen wanted distance was five years old that's all i've wanted to do and then for someone to tell you well if they don't offer you the job dead on the spot you can't have that money and she'd be able to sign off benefits so therefore it's saving the taxpayer and the government money so there's no 40 pounds in this one there's a drop in the ocean to the thousands of benefits that she's receiving every year in wallsall single mom of six sue is off to do her weekly food shop she gets around twenty thousand pounds a year in benefits but says she still has to bargain hunt because you can get cheaper things sometimes in some places and then cheaper things in other places so you i know where to go to get the bargains the things that i want sue moved to walsall 12 years ago to get away from the father of one of her children but now she's thinking of moving again to sussex to be closer to 11 year old romeo's dad [Applause] i think he needs his dad yes i think he needs the his dad to like you know give him the masculine side of like life i can only sort of say to him well look you you know you can do this and you can do that as a mother you know what i mean whereas his dad can step in and go well you know this is what you do and this is how you respect a woman this is how you do this and this is how you do that you know what i mean the only way she can move is by swapping her council house for a similar property in sussex she's hoping her clairvoyant powers will help speed up the process because i'm clairvoyant and i believe in life after death spirit there i put out into the universe um that i wanted to move so they're putting things in action i believe in the law of law of attraction as in all clairvoyance would uh law of attraction is what you put out will happen and with it as soon as i put the ad in within two weeks less than two weeks i got someone texting me back saying hey would you be interested in my three bedroom flat so that's how it works you know um if everyone believes it they believes it if they don't believe it they don't believe it but that's how it how things work [Music] in burnley there's bad weather and as a result the schools are closed so i'm just going to nip out get a few bits get some gas electric and then spend the day together 40 year old joanne and her youngest daughter ellie are trying to keep warm because it's so so cold and it's snowing i'll have to have the fire on all day i'll have i'll put the radiators on every now and again just to warm the harm up and then turn them off again but this is the only way to keep warm the freezing temperatures are putting an extra strain on joann's already crippled finances if i run out of gas or any heat in the gas electric i'm gonna we're gonna we're gonna be really cold we're gonna have to get that uh hot water bottle out but there's only one between two of us i'd have to get blankets out to keep us warm quilts and stuff like that but i don't want to be doing that because i've got a fire there so i'd rather put gas on it's still snowing yeah it's coming down faster now yeah joanne's gas and electric are on a prepay meter to top them up she and ellie have to brave the ice cold conditions and head to the shops you can only be out in the cold for so long or to just get too cold see at the moment she's loving it because of it because it's like this but i hate the cold so we're completely opposite thank you joanne has topped up her gas and electric meter but she could run out again within days ellie's had a money-saving idea he can just stop smoking i don't i don't want to at the minute no they're out of place at the moment but i will do eventually [Music] in west london craig has also managed to get his heating working yeah my gas is back on um the engineer came came back around and tested all the appliances and turned the gas back on considering the options for dinner a lot has changed since i've been at my mum's they don't eat different food they just eat the same old thing all the time so being on my own i can experiment and see what she likes and see what she don't like and it's uh good yeah frozen hello kitty or peppa pig peppa pig pig ones okay love it 27 year old craig didn't plan on becoming a single parent and he's had to grow up fast when i was younger i used to cause a lot of trouble i have been arrested a lot like quite quite a few times my criminal record's pretty vivid but it's all for silly silly drunk behavior uh criminal damage assault just silly silly things for what we used to do when we were kids you know but um that's all changed now it's good that it's all changed as well i'm happy because i'll probably end up in prison or something like that on drugs so yeah it's worked out for the better that i'm not doing what i used to i'm just looking at eric jeans while she's trying to think that she's all cool and stuff you wouldn't know what fashion is because you're always in your uniform in cheshire lauren's mom and sister have come for a visit with the job centre refusing to pay for her medical certificate she has to save the 40 pounds herself but her mom thinks the current benefit system doesn't help they shouldn't give their benefits every fortnight because of course people are going to piss out the wall they're going to get all their shopping and they're going to be skinned and then it's like other people that have to lend money but if they paid it weekly those people didn't wouldn't have next week's money would they they'd have to spend this weeks and then get next week's when it's yesterday but that's not me is it i don't think she trusts me with money does she at all she doesn't does she she buys herself a top for four pound and you make out she spent a million pounds on it yeah you always think well i think she could if it wasn't if it was me i think i would have priorities in a different order that's all you do treat me like a child yeah but you are a child you are mad yes but you know what you you don't need to constantly tell me what i should be doing or that i'm doing it wrong yes but then that makes me feel like i'm doing it wrong and then i think the next time actually i don't even know what i'm supposed to be doing now because i've been told i'm doing it wrong i don't think you think sometimes when you when you're talking about how much you do and like how i manage my money and that and the life i'm living sometimes you probably don't mean it at all but you don't realize what you've just said when you're not there and i'm speaking to other people about you you don't know i've been there no but i have been there where you've said you don't exactly walk off because you've said something that has really really hurt me and i think how can you stand there and say that so do you not think that other families have probably well i think so yeah i don't care what their families say it's different when you're saying it [Music] i do feel sometimes like i am a letdown i had baby young and i've not really done much with my life especially when you are a young mum you're getting judged by other people as well so that's the last thing you want to feel like your family's judging you you don't want your family thinking that you're a letdown or you're a disappointment i do think joining the army is a chance to prove them wrong and show everyone that i can do it that i can make my own way in life that i'm not just a single mum who's going to sit on benefits for the rest of her life coming up sue's house swap is in danger of falling apart i don't think she realizes the frustration that i'm in that has cost me money to come down into view of property craig's struggling to get himself off benefits i've gotta get her here for one then go to work so there won't be enough time in the day to get a job really and lauren's facing a crucial phone call to the army i was wondering if i could speak to someone about an application it's 11 weeks [Music] victoria coach stein in london mum of six sue is on route to sussex with youngest children jade and romeo bored now i wanted to get down to sussex now by the beach and yeah we do don't you want to see your dad yes you want to see your dad so yeah yeah we're looking forward to going down now sue's trying to swap her council house in warsaw for one close to romeo's dad but since booking their tickets she's not heard back from the people she's hoping to swap with i will get to see the flat this week i've got no she has no choice i will either turn up first thing in the morning or late at night that's it i will get in the flat and i will have a look and i will speak to them [Applause] after a 10 hour journey sue and her kids have finally arrived at the house of romeo's dad mark but the news isn't good basically i'm not happy bunny now really seriously you know mark you sit down i can talk to you better she's just texting me and she's just said basically one of her kids is not very well going into hospital don't know what time she's gonna be back from hospital so i know i've only got today in tomorrow three i told her i said to her i'm only free tuesday and wednesday that's it this week i'm busy thursday friday i'm going back home friday so you know at the end of the day i can't keep putting off when i see her maybe i'll just need to say if i'm coming around eight o'clock in the morning then and then tell her the time and just turn up and knock the door down i'm trying to analyze and it's not doing but not any good i won't have to be around my brother because you know it'll put things in perspective you know clarity in my head sue grew up in sussex herself and her brother kevin still lives close by i don't think she realizes the frustration that i'm in that has cost me money to come down here to view a property sue's trip to sussex in search of a new home hasn't worked out for now she'll have to stay put in wallsall nearly 200 miles from romeo's dad i've always been lucky i suppose with the dads and a lot i've been very very lucky i mean emotionally mark's there he will always provide him and his family will always provide for romeo it's hard not having a father figure yeah but the problem i have though is when i meet up with a bloke with a problem i have look at this the problem i've got is when i meet somebody you don't keep it closed [Laughter] yeah in west london it's a big day for craig and caitlin she's been excited this morning getting up early and i think she's looking forward to going there having recently moved home craig has had to find a new nursery for his daughter caitlyn's first day is settling in settling in day so i'm going to be there with her for an hour and see how she gets on there see how she's with the other kids and the teachers and that and then um hopefully she starts thursday and friday by herself she's confident and not shy i think you won't be shy real yeah no [Music] you go around if you want i'm gonna go [Music] that's why i put your burly boots on because silly flooded outside mine [Music] as a single unemployed parent craig is entitled to 15 hours a week of free child care for caitlin [Music] can you hear the children playing yeah and the teachers and the teachers here on craig's limited finances nursery is one of the few chances caitlin gets to mix with other children would you like a big pickup because of the benefits and the bills i have to pay it leaves me with not very a lot of money to do the things that i wanted with caitlyn taking her swimming bowling jungle gyms i've got money during the week in case we fall short on gas or electric so if i take her somewhere when she's not at a nursery it means that i haven't got the money for the week in case we run out of gas in case you ain't got electric in case bread or milk or trims that up say bye see you later thank you see you later free child care may be welcome can we come back thursday yeah but craig says the restricted nursery hours means he still can't get a job if i can find a part-time job that does exactly them times because i've got to get her here for one then go to work so it don't really there won't be enough time in the day to get a job really so still until she goes to full-time school it's going to be pretty difficult to get like part-time job until she goes to full-time school [Music] [Music] in cheshire lauren's friend nicola is trying to convince her to call the army recruitment office to see if they will pay for her medical certificate could just say to them what you know i can't afford that 40 questions yeah to give you up front when i'm a single mom and i've gotta catch the sport i'm myself so in a house obviously so can you not just give me like whatever i can take it to the door and see if the dog can help me lauren's struggling to save for the cost of the certificate on her weekly 70 pound benefits so it's a crucial phone call i think i'm nervous in case they do say no because then i feel like i'm back to square one oh no really that's it i'm back to square one i can only say sorry you know we can't do that for you and they're like okay then hiya um i was wondering if i could speak to someone um about an application it's 11 weeks all right well um i'll call i'll call back on um thursday then with an email address doke thank you very much bye that was like the best phone call that it could have been really what he's just said there is he can email my advisor from the job center and tell her that basically if they do fund that medical letter that there is a really really really high chance that as long as everything else is passed when i when i do go that i will come away with art with an actual job and hopefully by the end of next week it's gonna all be sorted you're excited yeah i actually feel like i'm getting somewhere now i feel like i don't know i actually just feel really happy now like i've actually achieved something today since filming finished craig's planning on getting off benefits when caitlyn starts school there's a sign up in there that says car drivers and van driver so yeah i'll take my cv in there one day joanne's stepped up her job hunting i'm looking for cleaning jobs anything like that i'm 40 years old now don't want to be on benefits all the way to my pension i want to work sue's no longer relying on the cosmos and signed up to a council scheme to boost her chances of a house swap in sussex i can't wait to move now to be there i just want to get on this truck and go basically if i could tonight i would yeah and lauren's waiting to find out if her application to join the army has been accepted if i do join the army that is my way out of being on benefits and a way to help me build a better future parents under pressure next as we explore the terrifying rise of child parent domestic abuse in my violent child tearing us apart it's which in our next on five star they're practicing the dark arts in the magicians while over on five usa it's lupo and bernard providing the magic in new season 20 law and order [Music]

Channel: Jim Hunter

Views: 257,748

Keywords:

Id: trhAx7cyVjI

Length: 45min 17sec (2717 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 26 2022