A young mother has taken to social media platform TikTok to express her frustration after a £3,000 payment from Universal Credit disappeared within 24 hours. The user, known as Millie 2013, is a mother of three and revealed she was left with just £2, despite the substantial sum landing in her account that morning.
In the video, which can be viewed below, Millie is seen organising baby items in her kitchen and discussing her life and its challenges. She stated: “I got paid £3,000 from Universal Credit today, and it is all gone. I’ve paid the most important bills and I’ll just have to wait till I get my wages to pay for the rest of them, which isn’t a problem, but I have been left with £2 even though I had that £3,000 pounds in the bank this morning.”
She further explained that as a working mother, childcare costs are a significant issue: “And if you’re new here, then you won’t know that my nursery fees are absolutely through the roof so most of my UC did actually go on that again, a shock.
“But I am making changes as of next month to make sure that this isn’t going to constantly be the case because I wasn’t expecting it to go up as much as it has. And also to top it off, TikTok decided to disqualify one of my videos from the creative rewards programme, so I am now £200 pounds down on that, so that is great.”
With the cost of living soaring, an online video plea has struck a chord as a struggling individual appeals to viewers, saying: “So this is just a little cry for help to see if I can get this video up to as many views as I have that one, just so I’m not losing out on any money, do you know what I mean? Cos life is rough. It, it’s so bad in it.”
The viral sensation resonated with many, with comments pouring in from empathetic users. One remarked, “There’s literally no point in working. it’s like they want everyone to rely on the government so they can control our money.”
Another chimed in with a powerful observation: “Isn’t it mad they force mums to work then pay more in childcare than if we were at home with them ourselves.”
To these insights, Millie responded pointedly: “Literally story of my life.”
Last month, issues surrounding the escalating expenses and diminished availability of childminding services were underscored by a report from the UK’s human rights guardian.
Britain’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) raised concerns that despite government initiatives to subsidise certain costs, the price of childcare remains steep and the most economically disadvantaged families have yet to see an improvement.
In a detailed 100-page document provided to the United Nations, the EHRC expressed worries, noting: “The provision of childcare decreased and costs rose in Great Britain since the UK’s previous review under ICESCR.”
The watchdog group continued to add weight to their claim, stating: “Although governments implemented programmes to solve some of these challenges, analysis indicates that they may not have sufficiently supported families on low incomes.”
The commission highlighted existing evidence pointing to “particularly low levels of provision for certain groups, including disabled children”, and noted the hike in part-time nursery fees for under-twos between 2023 and 2024.
The watchdog cited testimonies to MPs in recent years revealing that some English parents are cutting work hours or scrimping on groceries to afford childcare. Additionally, charity research in Wales has shown that childcare expenses are hitting parents harder than mortgage or rent payments.
