Now I won’t be penalised when I do work

SINGLE mum Chloe Wood said the increase in work allowance for those on Universal Credit was “fantastic” news.

She lives with her children, Mia, seven, and Theo, five, in Norfolk, where the system is currently being rolled out.

Chloe, 25, who earns a small income as a freelance writer, said: “This will allow me to take on slightly more selfemployed freelance work without worrying about risking my other income forms.

“As a single parent, I want to better myself and be able to provide a better life for my children. It’s not easy being a single parent – every penny is vital. Before, it felt like those trying to provide for their families were being penalised.”

She explained: “Before, a working person could have had less income than a person on benefits. Therefore it seemed pointless to gain employment.

“Now we have more freedom to better ourselves.”

Chloe, whose annual income is around £12,500, lives in a two-bed housing association property costing £406 a month.

Although she still has reservations about Universal Credit she said today’s announcements were a “fantastic step forward”.