'We don't all smoke and drink our benefits away' - Mansfield parents with children on free school meals weigh in on food poverty row

Since the government voted against Labour’s motion to extend Free School Meal vouchers last month, the topic has been hotly debated online, with Mansfield MP Ben Bradley hitting the headlines after debating with celebrities and constituents.

In a conversation with one Twitter user, Mr Bradley made claims about his Mansfield constituency in which he said ‘75 per cent of kids have a social worker, 25 per cent of parents are illiterate,’ adding ‘one kid lives in a crack den, another in a brothel’.

He subsequently deleted the Tweet, before admitting he had made ‘a mistake’.

Now Mansfield residents are coming forward to debunk the myths around what the vouchers mean to them, and why they take offence to the argument that people should only have children if they can afford to feed them.

Laura Avison is a single parent with three teenage children and blames the benefit system for being ‘flawed’ because she is better off working part time under universal credit rules.

She said: “When I fell pregnant I was 23 and in my second year at university, so I was never able to complete my degree.

“I was with my ex for six years and we had three kids, which we could afford at the time.

"He wouldn't let me work because he was 'old fashioned' and said women should stay at home.”

She added: "When I left him the kids were all five and under at the time, so it was hard to work whilst having three very young children.

"I started work when my youngest turned five as school and childcare made it more possible.”

Laura has worked both full and part time over the last 7 years, but found that under the new Universal Credits system she was worse off being in full time work.

She added: “When they introduced universal credit I was £400 a month worse off working full time, so it made no sense to work 40 hours a week when I would receive the same money by reducing my hours and not have to send my children to be looked after by someone else.

“There's no incentive for single mothers to miss out on seeing their children when we’re no better off unless we earn well above the minimum wage.

“I work less and see them more, which is the only 'benefit ' to being on benefits.

“I never set out to use the benefit system, for a short while I was in a working family where I was lucky that he earned enough for me to stay at home, but things can change.

“I'm still not reaching my potential because its hard to find a high-paid job and I can't afford to sacrifice work to retrain.

"I'd give anything to be off benefits and be self-sufficient but it’s not easy.“People who slate us need to look at the bigger picture – people are trying, but people are struggling, we don’t all smoke and drink our benefits away.

"I went through years of physical and emotional abuse and I'd rather be safe and on 'benefits' than live in constant fear.”

In response to the government’s vote to deny the extension, local businesses in Mansfield came forward to offer free food to those in receipt of Free School Meals, which meant hundreds of children in the area had access to meals during the half term break.

School’s Out, who supplied vouchers and donations to local families, said ‘food poverty could happen to anyone, with School’s Out champion Amanda Fisher admitting there were ‘6,000 children living in poverty in Mansfield.’

Another woman, who cannot be named to protect her safety, also wanted to share her story after fleeing an abusive relationship.

She has read the comments online over the past few weeks and felt compelled to tell her story.

She explains: “I am in receipt of free school meals – I have never done drugs, I don’t drink, I have gone without to ensure my children have been fed.

"I didn’t choose this life, I had to flee my abusive ex and leave my full-time job in the process – my job now is to make sure my children feel safe as they have been through so much already.

"I have had real times of hardship when benefits were messed up, and the free school meal vouchers have been a real help.”

She cooks meals from scratch to ensure her children eat well, but admits it would be cheaper to feed them processed foods.

The woman admits that some of the comments she saw online as the debate hit the headlines have shocked her.

She said: “I think it’s disgusting that people, including our own MP, are making assumptions that a lot of people are choosing benefits as a lifestyle choice and have money to fritter away.

"The comments I have seen lately have shocked me so much – these are hungry kids whose parents are struggling.

“Even if there are some who rinse the system, should we ignore the rest knowing that children are going hungry?”

Emma is a single parent from the area with three children of primary school age.

She works part time whilst studying for her teaching assistant qualification – also volunteering in a school to aid her studies.

Emma receives no financial support from the childrens’ father and receives benefits from the government to help ends meet, but admits she still finds herself without a penny some weeks.

She said: “I don’t spend any money on myself at all, I even cut my own hair.

"As soon as I get my wages and benefits I pay my bills and do my food shopping. After that, I literally have nothing left for the last two weeks of each month.

"I’m lucky in that my mum is around if anything comes up in those two weeks – she helps me out with any unforeseen bills or if the kids need anything.”

"I got the free school meal vouchers over the summer and they were a godsend, but some of the comments I’ve seen have been absolutely awful.

"I’m doing my best, going without, and trying to better myself to provide for my children’s future, yet we’re all being assumed to be heavy-drinking smokers who have money to burn.

"It’s so frustrating seeing ‘can’t feed them, don’t breed them ‘comments – I shouldn’t have to feel ashamed for my situation, I didn’t choose to end up like this.”

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