A MOTHER who receives Universal Credit has sparked outrage after boasting about how she spends her benefits.
Rachael, a stay-at-home mum-of-five who is currently unemployed left many stunned when she claimed to use her NHS Healthy Start Card to get her nails done and buy a scooter for her son.
Earlier this month, the mother treated herself to a posh new iPad and stocked up her wardrobe with clothes from Primark after receiving her benefits payment.
And now, posting on social media, the content creator has left people open-mouthed yet again.
In a short clip uploaded to TikTok, the self-proclaimed “shopping addict” said: “Come and do a random top up shop with my Healthy Start card.”
An NHS Healthy Start card is a pre-paid card for eligible low-income pregnant women and families with young children to buy healthy food.
Read more real life stories
The card is topped up every four weeks and can be used at most UK supermarkets and food retailers.
You can use an NHS Healthy Start card at most stores across the UK that sell qualifying items and display the Mastercard logo, including supermarkets, convenience stores and pharmacies.
The card is intended for specific purchases such as milk, infant formula, fruit, vegetables and pulses.
As Rachael held up her NHS Healthy Start card and showed off her glamorous manicure, the young mother explained: “In my last Healthy Start video, people had a problem with me doing my nails – so, yeah, I got BIAB this time.
“Some people think because I got the Healthy Start card, I’m not allowed to treat myself, but, yeah.”
As well as treating herself, Rachael, who receives Universal Credit and is on a mission to gain 10,000 followers on TikTok, also did a large Aldi shop for her family.
She continued: “I got some eggs, I got this pencil case for my daughter, I got a two pack of wings for tonight’s dinner and I did get this [Bluey scooter] for my son – he is obsessed with Bluey.”
As well as this, Rachael also nabbed two packs of nappies, milk, onions, brioche buns, burgers, sausages, hot dog rolls and Greek yoghurt.
Some people think because I got the Healthy Start card, I’m not allowed to treat myself
Rachael
But that’s not all, as Rachael also stocked up on wafer cones, ice cream, tangerines, bananas and some sweets for herself.
As she showed off her large Aldi haul, she wrote: “And the total was £63.”
How to claim Child Benefit
Child benefit is worth up to £1,331 a year for your first or only child and up to £881 a year for additional children.
This works out at £102.40 every four weeks or £25.60 a week for your first child and £67.80 every 4 weeks or £16.95 a week for their siblings.
There is no limit on the number of children that can be claimed for.
Applying is straightforward and can be done in minutes at gov.uk or through the HMRC app.
Parents with a newborn baby should make a claim online as soon as possible and could then receive their first payment in as little as three days.
You can also backdate claims for up to three months.
Parents can make a claim and then choose to opt out of receiving Child Benefit payments can still receive National Insurance credits if one parent is not working.
National Insurance credits build up your entitlement to the state pension.
Social media users react
But Rachael’s clip, which was posted under the username @rachaelmumof5, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 95,000 views.
Social media users were outraged by Rachael’s purchases and blasted her for showing them off online.
How can you buy toys, nappies and meat on there? I can only buy milk, fruit and veg
TikTok user
One person said: “This will be stopped if people keep posting what they buy on it which isn’t fair on people who actually need it.”
Another added: “I only spend it on my son’s baby food and milk. Not me.”
A third commented: “How dare you buy those mints for yourself!!”
Meanwhile, someone else chimed in and asked: “How can you buy toys, nappies and meat on there? I can only buy milk, fruit and veg.”
Struggling to lose weight? Send YOUR burning questions to our Slimming World coach TODAY
WHY did I lose weight this week but not last? Why can’t I shift those last pesky pounds? How do I even get started and are fat jabs the only way?
Weight loss isn’t easy, there are highs and inevitable lows on the journey to a trimmer waistline.
That’s why this week in The Sun and Sun Club we have teamed up with Slimming World to bring you our ‘Nozempic’ diet to help you shift up to one stone before Christmas.
But we recognise it’s hard to stay on track when you’re trying to keep an eye on your kcals, so we have got a very special Q&A with one of the team’s top weight-loss coaches, Mary Watkins.
She will be on hand to answer YOUR burning questions at thesun.co.uk on Saturday, October 25.
So, to put your weight loss questions to Mary, CLICK HERE and fill out the form at the bottom of the page, or email health@thesun.co.uk.
To this, Rachael responded and explained: “I literally just tap my card and it goes through.”
At the same time, another user wondered: “Are you not only allowed to buy certain things?”
To this, Rachael confirmed: “No, I buy my whole shopping.
“Before it was much stricter when it used to be paper vouchers but now it’s the card, it’s fine with anything.”
Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club
