Mum says daughter, 11, gives up her pocket money to help pay bills

A heartbroken mum has admitted that her 11-year-old daughter hands over her pocket money just so they can get by. Amid the cost of living crisis, single mum Victoria says she lives on the scraps of her four children’s leftover food. The 34-year-old, who is a full-time carer to one of her kids, gets around GBP300 a week in benefits – but she says the cash injection barely makes a difference.

In order to make ends meet, her eldest daughter Kiera, 11, selflessly donates her pocket money to help out. Victoria also revealed that Kiera has also given up the birthday money she received and has promised to do the same with any money she gets for Christmas. As reported by The Sun, the mum-of-four said: “It’s heartbreaking, Kiera saw me smashing into the tin money chest and said, ‘It’s ok Mummy, you can have my money.’ It made me feel ashamed.

I couldn’t even afford the local food bank GBP5 fee. READ MORE: Instagram mum shares clever hacks to save money this Christmas “The money worries are keeping me awake at night.

I had to ask my mum for the money for one of my children’s school trips. It makes you feel you’re not good enough to be a parent. I go hungry because I can’t afford to eat.

When the children come home I make sure they have a meal and I take anything leftover on their plates.” According to new research, one in four children of working parents are planning on offering up their pocket money or gifts to help their parents cover costs over Christmas. Action for Children surveyed over 2,500 working parents and their children across the UK in November and found that one in five working parents are worried they will not be able to afford presents this Christmas.

Over a quarter (26 per cent) expressed concern about being able to afford Christmas essentials such as food and a tree. More than half of the parents surveyed (53 per cent) said they have worried often about money over the past six months, reporting trouble sleeping, worsening mental health and becoming upset or stressed in front of their children. Meanwhile, 26 per cent of child respondents who receive pocket money or money for their birthday or Christmas from other family members said they will offer this to their parents to help them pay for things this Christmas.

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