I can’t feed my children
Stress of coping hits Kasha-anne’s health
Calderwood mum Kashaanne Johnston is struggling to feed her children on Universal Credit.
The 27-year-old, who lives in homeless accommodation, was expected to provide for her two children on a handout of £43 after having her benefits cut last month.
Her South African-born partner Charl Smit was also threatened with deportation, despite having permanent UK residency. The stress of her recent hardship has severely impacted on her mental ill-health and East Kilbride MP Dr Lisa Cameron has taken the shocking case to the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions.
The couple are now demanding an apology from the DWP. Kasha-anne said:“I feel so depressed and anxious about everything and‘m struggling to cope.”
A desperate young East Kilbride mum on Universal Credit says she is “terrified” she won’t be able to feed her children after having her benefits cut.
Kasha-anne Johnston, 27, told the News she faces a daily struggle to provide basic care to her sons, eight-month-old Kayden and seven-year-old Rhyley, since the Tories’ controversial six-in-one benefit was rolled out. And she insists the stress of not knowing how much money is coming through the door each month is severely impacting on her mental and physical health.
She claims the family-of-four, who live in homeless accommodation in Calderwood, were expected to survive January through to February on a handout of £43 – which would only just cover the cost of her baby’s formula.
Kasha-anne has suffered from depression since she was 16 and was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after finding her dad in a critical condition after a suicide attempt. He died three days later.
She also suffers from graves disease and says the stress of her current situation has exacerbated her symptoms, making her physically ill.
But, despite her health battles, she says her biggest worry right now is not being able to feed her kids.
“I’m constantly struggling to buy food for them and I’m terrified things will fall apart because of the situation I am in”, she said.
“Over the last few months I have felt like such a terrible mother. What kind of mother can’t ensure that their children are going to have cupboards full of food, beds to sleep on or even to make sure they have clothes and shoes that fit them?
“Things have got so bad I actually had social work appear at my door with food, clothes, nappies, blankets and toys for my children because they know I am in a horrible situation. I feel so depressed and anxious about everything and am struggling to cope with this situation.”
Kasha-anne’s hardship began when her South African-born fiancé Charl Smit was threatened with deportation under the harsh new regime, despite him having permanent residency in the UK.
She claims her £1007 per month benefits were stopped and Charl, who has lived in Scotland for a decade, was ordered to complete an habitual residence test.
The Department for Work and Pensions state that UC is automatically adjusted depending on earnings coming into the household.
Kasha-ann added: “They say Charl was paid £1729 in a month which wasn’t the case. They looked at a six week period and came up with this sum. On average he brings home no more than £400 per fortnight and with this we have to pay off bills and rent.”
After stepping in to help resolve the issue, Dr Lisa Cameron MP has now taken the family’s shocking case to the Secretary of State for the DWP.
Kasha-anne said: “I’ve been fighting the DWP constantly since this new Universal Credit came into play, but have just been passed from pillar to post.
“I had all my children’s money stopped in December, all because my fiancé was born in South Africa, but he has lived in Scotland for 10 years.
“They threatened to stop all income again because they believed his Visa was expiring and that would result in deportation.”
Her financial problems started shortly before Christmas, leaving her with no money to buy presents or Christmas dinner for her kids.
In desperate need of a way out, she was left with no option but to apply to the DWP for an advanced payout of £1000.
Kasha-anne claims she is now being told to repay the money in instalments of £83 per month and fork out an additional £124 for ‘over payment’. She added: “I would like the DWP to apologise for what they have put my family through. They have put us through massive distress and caused me to have a setback with my mental health. My mum also has mental health problems and is
Over the last few months I have felt like such a terrible mother and that’s what’s getting me down Kasha-anne
on benefits and I’m having to rely on her to help feed and clothe my children, who are the ones suffering most.”
Charl slammed the treatment the couple have been forced to endure, adding: “I have lived in this country since 2008 and have worked all the days I have lived here. I go out and earn a living through hard work, the same as most people in the UK. I pay my taxes, I pay my national insurance and have full rights to reside in Scotland.
“My partner was entitled to Universal Credit for the children but because she’s in a relationship with me and I am a foreigner they wouldn’t give her what the boys are entitled to. We had to fight for weeks trying to prove that I was allowed to remain in Scotland.
“I live as a British resident and pay my way in this country and don’t expect to be kept on benefits. I do, however, expect my children to have the money they are entitled to, to help with extra expenses that I can’t cover with my wages.
“I was made to feel like some sort of illegal immigrant, they made me feel like I was a criminal and didn’t have right to remain in this country.
“Kasha-anne has done nothing but fight these people on behalf of both of us since December, which has taken its toll on her health. We haven’t even had as much as a simple ‘sorry’ for the distress they put us through.”
A DWP spokesman said: “We have been talking to Ms Johnston about her claim. She received her full UC payment in December and a partial payment the following month, because Universal Credit adjusts automatically to people’s earnings so they have a guaranteed stable monthly income and can keep more of what they earn.”