Benefit claimant and single mum of four legally paid equivalent to ยฃ93k salary | Politics | News
A woman reportedly received state benefits and part-time earnings equivalent to ยฃ93k (Image: Getty)
A woman reportedly received state benefits and part-time earnings equalling the equivalent of a staggering ยฃ93,000 in gross salary. The single mum from Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, is said to bring home about ยฃ5,400 per month, made up of her pay, Universal Credit (UC) as well as help with childcare and rent.
She has not been identified or accused of any fraud, and payments are understood by GB News to have been claimed within the law. The broadcaster said the woman’s case was raised by a benefits office manager at a meeting with Gordon Lyons, a DUP member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The whistle-blower is reported to have said: “Many claimants and households receive a combination of payments from UC, DLA (Disability Living Allowance) and Carer’s Allowance, (and are) arguably much better off financially than their elected officials.”
This tax year, members of the Legislative Assembly receive a basic salary of ยฃ67,200, while the First Minister of Northern Ireland earns ยฃ139,200.
As in England, a cap on the benefits a household can receive applies in Northern Ireland. The limit for a lone parent living with their children is the same across all areas: ยฃ423.46 per week.
Households can be exempt from the cap when a claimant or child is in receipt of certain disability or carer benefits.
According to GB News, the whistle-blower recommended a benefit cap, particularly for claimants in work.
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Brits on social media suggested benefits should be taxed, should not reach amounts that encourage people not to work and the whole system is currently unsustainable.
One person said: “An absolute disgrace. Hardworking people donโt get anything and a part time worker can receive all that. No wonder unemployment is so high.”
The latest figures show Britainโs overall rate of unemployment held steady at 4.9% in the three months to May, according to the Office for National Statistics. News of the woman’s case comes as Prime Minister Andy Burnham ruled out “crude cuts” to benefits but promised to “get really serious” about reducing the UK’s welfare bill.
The Prime Minister is expected to set out his policies on youth unemployment and welfare in the coming days as part of a series of interventions on longer-term problems facing the UK.
In his first major interview as Prime Minister, Mr Burnham told the BBC he did not want to “blame” people for being on benefits.
But he added: “I think weโve got to get really serious as a country at getting the welfare bill down.”
The Government is forecast to spend ยฃ322.6billion on the social security system in 2025-26. Total welfare spending is forecast to be 10.6% of GDP and 23.6% of the total amount the Government spends over the same period.
