Work full-time? It’s just not in my psyche
His family lives in a council house and is funded ‘mostly’ by benefits. Meet the father who says:
THEY live in a council home with their three children and the man of the house proudly revels in not holding down a full- time job because it is ‘not in my psyche’.
But part-time yoga teacher Matt Allen, 36, and his wife Adele, 35, who live ‘mostly’ on benefits, insist they are not abusing the welfare system.
The couple let their children Ulysses, eight, Ostara, four, and baby Kai sleep with them – with no fixed bedtime – and decide what and when they want to eat.
They do not use mainstream medicine and none of the children has been vaccinated, while the eldest – who is home schooled – has yet to learn to write his own name.
The family – who caused a storm in 2016 when daughter Ostara, then one, urinated on the set of This Morning while her parents were being interviewed – featured last night in the documentary series Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over on the pay TV channel W.
The Strictly Come Dancing winner spent three days at their Brighton council house to learn more about their lifestyle.
Ostara is mostly still in nappies, Mrs Allen revealed on her Instagram page. The full-time mother added that children learn natural Ostara a meal ‘through consequences’. is filmed of Monster imitation making Munch herself and corn Ulysses snacks helps and himself broccoli, to while raw and mushrooms, crisps. brussels sprouts autoimmune Mr Allen, who disease, suffers teaches from an yoga a few hours a week but told the programme it is more important to him to be at home with his children than working.
Asked by Miss Dooley how he provides for his family and whether it is ‘all benefits’, he said: ‘Mostly, mostly, but we claim the very bottom line. Do we feel as if we’re really we society ‘In have regards don’t abusing in a many minimalist think to social respects. the we are, system? impact systems because on I schools and the NHS – we save – money on that. Adele didn’t have births at hospital so we saved money on that. So in our own unique, weird, wonderful way, we balance the books.’
Miss Dooley put it to him that many parents want to spend time at home with their children but have for them. to go to work to provide Asked what he would say to them, he replied: ‘Spend more time with your kids – it’s simple. I have no intention of working a 45 or 50-hour week – it’s just not in my psyche.’
When it was revealed in the documentary that Ulysses cannot write his own name, his mother insisted ‘it’s absolutely fine’ for her son to ‘take his time’ picking up literacy skills.
The family’s appearance on This Morning in 2016 to discuss their unconventional parenting style alarmed some viewers who called social services.
The family later revealed they had a visit from a health visitor but Mrs Allen said she was not offended as they ‘had the children’s best interests at heart’.