Homeless single mother sobs as she puts 14p on table in temporary housing she shares with her teenage son and says ‘that’s all our money’
- Rachel and son living in temporary accommodation in Grimsby, Lincolnshire
- She was interviewed for BBC News for a report on voters who rely on food banks
- Mother-of-one hit out at politicians who ‘don’t know about real struggle’
A homeless single mother burst into tears as TV crews filmed her putting 14p on the table before telling them it is all she has.
Rachel is bringing up her teenage son Bradley on her own and sobbed as she pulled four 2p peices and six 1p coins out of her pocket during a BBC News report.
The mother-of-one, who is living in temporary accommodation in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, was featured on a report about voters in next week’s election who rely on food banks.
After taking the change from her pocket, she told camera crews: ‘It’s all I have to my name’.
Mother-of-one Rachel, who is living in temporary accommodation in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, was featured on a BBC News report about voters in next week’s election who rely on food banks
Rachel has a teenage son called Bradley and sobbed as she pulled four 2p peices and six 1p coins out of her pocket during a BBC News report
Asked what her priorities are, she replied: ‘Making sure my son is fed and has a roof over his head for the time being.
‘If I didn’t have him I wouldn’t be here. I know I wouldn’t. It’s because of him I’m still here.’
She slammed politicians who she claims do not know the struggles of being a single parent or trying to make end’s meet.
The mother-of-one added: ‘Sometimes I think they don’t deserve it [my vote] because they don’t get, they don’t understand, what it’s like to be without.’
A recent survey rated Grimsby as the 16th most deprived area of Britain, with one in four residents under the bread line.
After taking the change from her pocket, she told camera crews: ‘That’s all our money’
More than a third of children there are living in poverty, the Grimsby Telegraph reports.
Earlier this year then-Depart for Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd admitted use of food banks had gone up after the roll out of the Government’s Universal Credit system.
When Universal Credit was first rolled out, recipients had to wait six weeks for their first payment.
The limit was later cut by a week – but Miss Rudd admitted that the delays in claimants getting their benefits had meant more were forced to turn to food banks.
The Trussell Trust said use of food banks had increased by 52 per cent in areas where Universal Credit had been in place for a year or more – compared with 13 per cent elsewhere.
It provided 658,048 emergency supplies to families in crisis between April and September last year.
A recent survey rated Grimsby (file image used) as the 16th most deprived area of Britain, with one in four residents under the bread line
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