A benefits claimant has splurged £8,000 on designer Christmas presents for her three children and has thanked Rachel Reeves for making it possible.
Emily Cutter, 37, a proud “benefits mum” pockets £28,638 a year in taxpayer-funded handouts as she claims relying on the welfare state simply “makes better sense than working”.
Ms Cutter’s benefits include £1,500 in Universal Credit per month, free school meals for her children, a council tax reduction of more than £1,500 annually and thousands in child benefits.
In addition, she does not have to pay rent on her home because she bought the four-bedroom council home in Somerset at a third discount under the Right To Buy Scheme in 2022.
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Using her handouts, Ms Cutter has splashed out on Gucci, Prada and Dior goodies for her student son, 18, and daughters Cee Cee, 14, and Lily, seven.
Ms Cutter says she’s been able to make such lavish expenses thanks to Rachel Reeves who announced a spending boost of £16billion in her Budget last month.
In the Chancellor’s “Benefits Street Budget”, she announced an axe to the two-child benefits cap from April, which is set to hand around 500,000 families an extra £5,310 a year in handouts.
“I was going to cut back a little bit this Christmas but, thanks to Rachel Reeves, I’m spending about £2,000 more overall,” she told The Sun.
The mum-of-three has splashed some £8,000 on gifts this year
|GETTY
“I am now set to get that bit extra come April, so I can. I know people moan but honestly, they aren’t my problem.”
Among the gifts for her children are Gucci T-shirts, Dior sunglasses, an Apple laptop and a Michael Kors handbag.
On top of that, Ms Cutter will treat her children to several expensive days out, with trips to Legoland, Longleat Safari Park and Winter Wonderland.
Defending her decision, Ms Cutter, who has been out of work since 2023, boasted: “I’m an icon.
“It’s not my fault I’m money-savvy enough to have saved up to buy them gifts. I’ve scrimped and saved all year, so it’s not fair to blame me.
“I’ve focused on saving my cash. It’s been an exhausting year and my family deserves the best presents and trips.”
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Rachel Reeves's “Benefits Street Budget” will hand 500,000 families an extra £5,310 a year
|PA
The £8,000 price tag on her luxury gifts will come as a slap in the face for many Britons across the country suffering under the effects of the cost-of-living crisis.
According to a recent YouGov poll, the average UK family is planning to spend between £50 and £100 per child this Christmas – a far cry from the £800 Ms Cutter spent on just one gift for her eldest daughter.
The spending spree is also more than three times the £1,622 average UK families will fork out over the holiday period, according to data from MoneySuperMarket.
Ms Reeves’s benefits boost is set to inject an extra £16billion into the welfare system, with taxpayers footing a £3billion bill for axing the two-child benefits cap alone.
Announcing the changes on November 26, Ms Reeves said: “We on this side of the House do not believe that the solution to a broken welfare system is to punish the most vulnerable children.”
Set to come into effect from April 2026, Labour estimates the change will reduce the number of children living in poverty by 450,000 by 2029/30.
Ms Cutter said: “I am so happy the Government was generous, offering us benefits mums more ‘quids for kids’ by removing the child benefit cap.
“It means next year I can spend even more money on Christmas gifts. Thanks Rachel Reeves.”
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