I wanted to make one thing clear as a person living on benefits. Yep my beloved tory friends, you know someone who is on benefits.

When we found out I was pregnant, it was very much a choice of do I really want a baby. I never wanted children, but I was also against abortion for myself, dont get me wrong I have had an abortion and while I feel sad, at the time, it was the right move. I struggle with my son on some days, but I have a supportive partner now and I honestly believe that if I had had a child then, that child would be in care.

We looked into me working full time but childcare would of cost a lot. I believed I figured out I would be earning £1.27 an hour, after taking off tax, NI and childcare, that would allow my partners wage to pay for everything else, and there was no way. We came up with a solution me working nights and my parter working days.

There were the odd days we needed help, but thank god we had friends and family. Some families don’t have this.

But then there came a day when my head went nope, not going out today, and then the depression sunk in, we used all our savings in the hope I was going to get better, and that has not happened even now.

We do get benefits, but we have to make choices, our rent is always paid first, first of all my landlady, doesn’t own billions of properies, this is it, and she lives off the rent, there is no way I am screwing a little old lady. 2nd if she did evict us because we didn’t pay, the council wouldn’t home us due to being intentially homeless.

Next comes TV license, if you haven’t a child, then you won’t get this but cbeebies is a must, council tax and contents insurance is the next thing. Food, a growing child will not understand not having any money for bananas.

Then the fight starts between gas, electric and water. Who gets what. Its not an easy battle. We are managing cause I can juggle, but the thing is, as much as I hate to blame my mental health, my partner has had to take my debit card, due to my lack of control at certain points.

Controlling maybe, but to stop having his family evicited its worth it.

Yes we have pets, we got these when I was stable, but its not like we can get rid of them when the going gets tough, it would be like getting rid of our son cause we can’t afford him.

Of course people screw the system. Find me a system that has not been screwed, but for most counting the pennies is the difference between paying the electric bill and paying the gas bill.

Before you judge, lots of people rely on money from the government, hard working people. In Britain, most of the welfare bill is spent on paying out to OAP’s so before making a judgement on the people on benefits consider shooting the little old lady next door