ENGLISH NEWS: Couple with 7 children open up a GoFundMe after having benefits slashed

A COUPLE with seven young children say they are struggling to survive after their benefits were slashed and have opened a GoFundMe page to ask the public for help.

Ryan Rodgers, 26 and Jenny Grimes, 25, from Kirkby in Liverpool, England, say they used to receive £2,100 a month in financial support but the introduction of the governmental benefit cap has left their finances decrepit. They now state that they survive on £480 a month after their rent is paid.

As a result, the family, whose children are all under the age of seven, rely on food banks, help from charities and handouts from family and friends. However, they have now decided to go public about their struggle with an online fundraising appeal.

Ms Grimes says that she and her partner are ‘ashamed’ at having to ask for donations but the family’s plight has affected Mr Rodgers’ mental health and he suffers from depression and anxiety, with the situation leaving him feeling ‘useless’.

Speaking to the Mirror, Mr Grimes says he wants to get full-time work but can’t with the kids and they’ve been set up to fail as parents by the state. He added that with Christmas just around the corner there’s so much they need but can’t provide for their children.

Despite their campaign already reaching £2,400, it has come under fire from social media users who disagree that the family need help.

In 2013, the Lib Dem-Conservative Coalition government introduced the benefit cap which was designed to put a limit on benefits to the average working wage of £500 a week (£2,000 a month). In 2016, it was further reduced to £384.62 a week for couples outside greater London (£1,538 a month).

A DWP spokesperson said: ‘The benefit cap was introduced to encourage people to seek work by ensuring their maximum income on benefits does not exceed that of a household in work.’