Single Mum Struggles With Housing Benefits! | The Yorkshire Jobcentre

i think the children have any idea of what's going on you know i haven't told them [Music] they don't have to know what i'm going through 24 year old mum katrina came to the uk from the czech republic when she was a child what makes you wanting to make a claim to university credit i'm in this situation that my boyfriend left me so i don't get no money nothing so i was trying to just to get help so how was your financial situation though now it's bad but when you say about how what do you mean by god oh i don't have nothing for my children i don't work i can't go to work because i have the children katrina will have to sit a residence test to see if she qualifies for benefits i had a problem with my ex-boyfriend one day he just went somewhere and i found out that his girl girlfriend so i was asking about and he just said he loves he wants to go to her maybe i've done something wrong but i've asked him what did i do you said nothing i'm just leaving you because i'm falling off that's all yeah i lost everything unable to pay the rent katrina needs to pass the residence test at the job centre in a few days time or she could face being out on the streets i'm just going to take your claim here today it's a residence test that we're doing if successful she could receive around 450 pounds a week in benefits the residence test is a very intense test where we look at all different aspects of their life to ensure that they are habitually resident within this country that they're looking at applying for work and getting themselves into a better position and that they're not just here purely to to live off the state so have you ever worked in the uk you have you got anything to show where you were yeah you got some pierce slips and things for katrina her situation is becoming more serious as the rent is in arrears and the landlord has given her just six days to pay up if i don't get the money i'm gonna be out i'm not sure what's gonna happen next it's now been four days since katrina sat the residence test who says i failed this is because your failed habitual residential test your claim is closed and i have to be out on next friday from the house there is a perception that it's easy to come to the uk and claim benefits and i hope that some people see that it's not that easy to do and there are processes and there are steps for people from abroad to to claiming katrine has been denied all benefits she's failed to raise any cash and the deadline for paying the rent has now passed right now i am like homeless because i don't have the money where to live from and do you think he is gonna check you out the rent is not coming from nowhere so he is entitled to choke me out people think well just you know just go back to where you come from these people who say stuff like this they don't understand how hard to go back after coming to england because england at least you can dream [Music] in england if you come young you can dream that's one day you can be whoever you want to be back home sometimes you cannot even dream of changing your life it's 6am i've got a cleaning job i'm feeling happy to get back to work i like to work so a family friend has offered to look after the kids without work you don't get nothing [Music] one month later and things have also changed for katrina after doing the cleaning job for two weeks she reset the residence test and this time because of her recent work history she passed with the advance on her universal credit she's moved into a new house and her school-aged kids have started at the local primary i don't think about where do i have to go if i don't get this or that the children cry now i've got anything they want they go to school i've got my house i feel relaxed [Music]

Channel: Channel 4

Views: 6,063

Keywords: All 4, Channel 4, The Yorkshire Job Centre, Job Centre, factual, factual entertainment, documentary, Benefits, Job seekers benefits, job seekers allowance, cost of living, employment, Housing Benefits

Id: jLvYahw6QJk

Length: 4min 42sec (282 seconds)

Published: Fri Nov 12 2021