People Have Opinions On Mother Who Spends Child Benefits To Go On Vacation

Sarah Kester
Karen holding money
The Sun | The Sun

Not everyone is going to parent the same way, and that’s okay.

Everyone is different! But there are some obvious things parents should do — and things they shouldn’t. We’re going to go ahead and put “spending child benefits on handbags and holidays for the parent” in the don’t column. 

When one mom did this anyway, she caused quite the stir online

The mom in question is Karen Allerton. 

Karen posing
The Sun | The Sun

Yes, let's get the Karen jokes out of the way now! She’s a 42-year-old nurse and a mom of two who has been catching flack for revealing that she scams the government to get extra child benefits.

The “scam” is to basically deem both her and her ex-husband as single parents.

Couple with a child
Unsplash | Jakob Owens

As a result, they get paid for a child each under the “eldest” payment. This is a lot more money than the "other child" pay that parents receive.

“I’m proud I have discovered a way to ‘scam’ the system and claim more child benefit and I’m not afraid to admit it," she told 'The Sun.'

Rihanna wanting money
Giphy

She even wants other mums to do the same as a way to take advantage of free money.

"I’m a single mum after I divorced my ex-husband ten years ago," she explained.

Mom with kids
Unsplash | Marisa Howenstine

"At the time I was getting £21.80  a week or £87.20 every four weeks for my first son and  £14.45 per week or £57.80 a month for my second lad."

"When my 12-year-old decided to live most of the week at his dad’s last year as some kids do when they are teens I didn't want to be done for benefit fraud," she continued.

Woman winking
Giphy | Disney+

She told her ex to lodge a claim for their youngest at his place.

Then, she claimed that their oldest son was living at her place.

Woman holding money
Unsplash | Alexander Mils

This resulted in both of them receiving the "eldest child allowance. That means that they got an extra £7.45 a week between both of their two separate households.

While many moms are relying on these funds to care for their kids, Karen’s off spending it on herself.

Woman shopping
Giphy | Paramount Movies

Karen got the internet fired up when she uploaded a view to TikTok, telling her followers that she bought a new handbag and was going on holiday with some of her "child benefit cash."

"Booking my next girl holiday, without the kids of course, feels all the more sweet knowing that I’ve used my part of my child benefit to pay for it,” she told 'The Sun.'

This led to massive backlash.

"My trolls brand me a ‘lazy cow’ and a ‘scrounger,'" she said.

"They forever tell me to get a job but the funny thing is I work full time as a nurse,” she continued on.

"She said that she wasn’t “bothered” by the trolls who condemned her actions. They just fuel her on.

“Bring it on I say because I love the fact I have worked out how to scam the government - it’s legal and I love it.”

Karen's TikTok
The Sun | The Sun

If anything, she believes that she deserves a much-needed vacation away from her kids.

"I mean I deserve that - if you’ve ever been on holiday with my two lads you need a holiday to get over it," Karen told 'The Sun.'

"I now have almost 100,000 followers and  3 million likes, not bad for a mum who started TikTok so see what all the fuss is about," she said.

"As the trolls bring it I say, nothing scares me, I'm a Karen and I’m proud."

H/T: The Sun