Mum on £4,000 Universal Credit left ‘counting pennies’ | UK | News
There are currently 8.4 million people on Universal Credit in the UK (Image: John_Lamb via Getty Images)
A mum-of-four has spoken candidly about life on benefits after revealing she receives nearly £4,000 a month in Universal Credit payments. He states that despite the amount he receives, he often finds himself worried about finances and describes himself as “weak”.
Millie, the creator of TikTok, explained her situation in a new video that sparked significant debate on the internet. The unemployed mother told how quickly funds can disappear despite the help she receives every month.
Speaking in the clip, he said: “UC gave me £4,000 a few days ago and I’m back to counting money again.” Millie later admitted that she was partly joking about her financial situation, explaining that she literally doesn’t count pennies. He added: “I don’t know how these people above can expect people to get by on the bare minimum because £4,000 a month isn’t enough.”
The content creator quickly made it clear that the remarks were meant as a joke. He told viewers: “But thank you for letting you guys watch part of my video, because that now means I’m getting paid for you to watch. And no, I’m not serious. I’m not actually counting the pennies.”
Millie explained that she chose to create the video after observing the response similar content often receives online. He said: “But you know, when you have these little pots with random changes here and there, I thought why not make a video about it? Because I know it gets people excited and I found the comments on videos like this absolutely hilarious.”
The mother of four also revealed that she is currently trying to save money to buy new carpets throughout her home. He stated that the “carpet fund” fell short of the target following difficulties in uploading content to TikTok.
Mum joked about having to ‘count pennies’ (Image: Kanatip Chulsomlee via Getty Images)
He said: “Now my rug fund is getting pretty loose. For some reason TikTok wouldn’t let me upload today so I’m really hoping this video will take off, but I guarantee I won’t get anywhere where I need to be for the rug fund and will have to find the money somewhere else.”
Millie also mentioned that she’s considering creating an Amazon wish list. He emphasized that he wanted to ensure that any featured item was truly needed before sharing it with his followers.
He added: “If you watched my live video yesterday, I’m actually still making an Amazon wish list. I’m just trying to put things together, I don’t want to just put things out there just for the sake of it. I really really need it.”
last digits from Department for Work and Pensions It reveals millions of households in the UK receive Universal Credit payments. The purpose of the aid is to help people with daily living expenses, including those who are unemployed, unable to work, or on low incomes.
Data disclosed by Department for Work and Pensions It notes that Universal Credit payments can vary significantly depending on individual household circumstances, such as housing costs, childcare commitments and the number of dependent children.
Larger families, in particular, may be eligible for awards much higher than the standard monthly allowance.
Millie’s words sparked a divided reaction online; While some viewers sympathized with the increasing pressures on household spending, others questioned whether £4,000 a month would be enough to cover daily expenses.
The debate comes as countless families continue to feel the pressure of rising food, energy and housing costs, even as inflation has shown signs of falling in recent months. More details about Universal Credit rates and eligibility criteria are available on the GOV.UK website.
