Family of nine 'surviving on just £480 a month' after benefits cut

9 December 2019, 14:36 | Updated: 11 December 2019, 14:59

The family - from Liverpool - have set up a GoFundMe to help them make ends meet.

A family of nine have been left struggling to get by after their Universal Credit was slashed, leaving them with just £480 a month.

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Ryan Rodgers, 26, and his partner Jenny Grimes, 25, claim that they used to get £2,100 a month in financial support - but that the introduction of the benefits cap had seen this slashed.

They are parents to nine kids - Ellie, seven, twins Kenzie and Kelsie, six, Laysie, four, Archie, two and seven month old twins Tobie and Rylie.

The family in theory receive the family £669.50 a month, but their rent is deducted from this sum.

However, they actually claim to have to survive on the £480 due to the fact that money is deducted in payback of the advance payment - a loan that is given to cover the first few weeks after application - they received when they moved onto Universal Credit.

The family have resorted to using food banks to get by, as well as favours from charities and friends.

The couple have set up a GoFundMe to help them get by, explaining on the page: "We are a young couple with seven children trying to get back on our feet after becoming homeless having to start all over again from fresh.

"We have been benefit capped to the bare minimum and we are really struggling to get by.

"Our situation is being much more a struggle with Christmas being only a few weeks away.

"We feel really ashamed to have to do this as we've never had to do anything like this before.

"I hate to have to do this and it's took a lot for me to actually do it, but there is only so much we can do as a family.

"Any help at all is very much appreciated, even if you could point me in the direction of getting some help. Thank you."

So far they have raised £2,682. You can visit their GoFundMe here.

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