A scrounging mum claims she can’t afford to buy school uniforms for her five children – despite blowing her £19,000-a-year benefits on takeaways and FAGS.
Emma Lawlor, 27, became pregnant when she was just 17 and now has five kids – aged one to eight – by two different men and admits she has never worked.
Despite coining in a total of £19,200-a-year in benefits, the single-mum claims she still can’t afford to properly clothe her kids.
But in comments which will anger every hard-working parent in Britain, shameless Emma boasts about blowing her hand-outs on takeaway pizzas, curries and fags.
She appeared on Channel 5’s On Benefits: Breadline Brummies and claims she was treated “totally unfairly.”
Emma, who lives in a three-bedroom council house in Wolverhampton, West Mids., said: “I am not doing anything illegal or wrong. I’m entitled to every penny I get.
“I have to look after my kids. I love them all and I have to treat them. It’s stressful looking after five kids on my own.
“I do buy a few takeaways for them because sometimes I just can’t face cooking and yes I do smoke but I can’t cope otherwise.
“When I appeared on the TV show I was just talking to them normally and saying positive things about wanting to get back to college but I’ve been treated totally unfairly.”
Emma currently receives £70-a-week in child benefits, £270-a-week in child tax credit, and £240-a-month in income support, totalling £1,600-a-month.
Emma, who is mum to Reece, eight; Skye, six; Kadee-Maye, five; Kenzie, three and Tori, one, has claimed she also receives no financial help from her ex-partners.
She said she pays just £20-a-month towards her rent, £80 on electricity bills, £28 on water and £60 on gas.
Emma, who has spent the last decade on benefits, also spends £120 a week on food.
But despite being unable to afford £100 on new school uniforms for her five children, Emma spends £20-per-week on cigarettes.
She also regularly treats her children to numerous takeaways a month, totalling around £100.
But despite this, Emma has claimed she is struggling to afford to bring up her brood, despite only spending just over half her monthly benefits on bills.
She added: “I never thought I’d have this many kids to be honest with you. I love them though, wouldn’t change them for the world.
“As you can imagine it’s a lot of washing with five kids.
“My tumble dryer is on all the time. I do go through a lot of electric and washing powder.
“Some people might look at me and think, ‘She’s a single mum, she’s scrounging.’, but I’m not.
“It can be really difficult being a single mum, but I get on with it. I want to go to college and study to become a housing officer for the council.
“I think I’d be really good at it because I’ve been there and I know what people go through.
“The money that I get is for my children. It goes on clothes, it goes on food, nappies, baby wipes, none of it goes on me.
“It goes on bus fares and new clothes for the kids.
“I’m just doing the best by my kids.”
Revealing why she split from her partner, she said: “We’ve decided it’s not working out and I’m putting the kids first. I do get on with him still though. He still comes and sees the kids.
“I’m just making the money last me, trying to prioritise the stuff that I need.
“When the income support comes in it will help me. I need to get them some school uniform and bits of clothes. They are growing out of it now.
“I want the best for my kids. I hope they do well. Better than I have with my life.
“I’m trying to get some part-time work.
“The kids only get presents when it’s Christmas of their birthday.
“I put in a claim to get income support and I’m glad it’s been sorted out because it’s really helped me get my kids more stuff.”
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