Single mother-of-eight who claims £2,000 a month in state handouts has £600 of bus lane fines slashed because she says she can't afford them

A single mother with eight children who receives £2,000 a month in benefits
has had a string of bus lane fines slashed because she claims she can't
afford to pay them.

Marie Buchan, 31 racked up 10 tickets in just one week after straying into
the bus lane when her youngest daughter Olivia, then aged two months, was
admitted to hospital with bronchitis.

Ms Buchan, whose children are aged between four months and 12 years old,
receives £500 a month in state handouts and said the £600 of fines left her
facing financial ruin.
Fined: Marie Buchan, 31, from Selly Oak in Birmingham, claims £2,000 a month
in benefits and has had a string of bus lane fines slashed because she says
she can't afford to pay them
+3

Fined: Marie Buchan, 31, from Selly Oak in Birmingham, claims £2,000 a month
in benefits and has had a string of bus lane fines slashed because she says
she can't afford to pay them

She was caught by bus lane cameras in Birmingham city centre, which have
issued more than 80,000 fines since they were installed in September - to
the anger of thousands of motorists ordered to pay the £60 sums.

Having appealed on both grounds of financial hardship and that, like many
who have complained, the bus lane signs are inadequate and easy to miss,
Birmingham City Council has withdrawn seven of Ms Buchan's penalty notices,
cutting £420 from her bill.

However, the council says she must still pay £180 after she was penalised
while taking Olivia to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and received the 10
fine notices in the post more than a week later.

'I made a genuine mistake,' said Ms Buchan of Selley Oak.

'I was desperate to get to the hospital and had a screaming child in the
car. I was not aware there were bus lanes until the fines came through the
post.

Read mo
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz2sOFd8z7I

read more

Anthony

Anthony wrote:
A single mother with eight children who receives £2,000 a month in
benefits has had a string of bus lane fines slashed because she
claims she can't afford to pay them.

Marie Buchan, 31 racked up 10 tickets in just one week after straying
into the bus lane when her youngest daughter Olivia, then aged two
months, was admitted to hospital with bronchitis.

Ms Buchan, whose children are aged between four months and 12 years
old, receives £500 a month in state handouts and said the £600 of
fines left her facing financial ruin.
Fined: Marie Buchan, 31, from Selly Oak in Birmingham, claims £2,000
a month in benefits and has had a string of bus lane fines slashed
because she says she can't afford to pay them
+3

Fined: Marie Buchan, 31, from Selly Oak in Birmingham, claims £2,000
a month in benefits and has had a string of bus lane fines slashed
because she says she can't afford to pay them

She was caught by bus lane cameras in Birmingham city centre, which
have issued more than 80,000 fines since they were installed in
September - to the anger of thousands of motorists ordered to pay the
£60 sums.
Having appealed on both grounds of financial hardship and that, like
many who have complained, the bus lane signs are inadequate and easy
to miss, Birmingham City Council has withdrawn seven of Ms Buchan's
penalty notices, cutting £420 from her bill.

However, the council says she must still pay £180 after she was
penalised while taking Olivia to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and
received the 10 fine notices in the post more than a week later.

'I made a genuine mistake,' said Ms Buchan of Selley Oak.

'I was desperate to get to the hospital and had a screaming child in
the car. I was not aware there were bus lanes until the fines came
through the post.

So what?

On Tue, 4 Feb 2014 21:33:11 -0000, "Norman Wells"
wrote:

Anthony wrote:
A single mother with eight children who receives £2,000 a month in
benefits has had a string of bus lane fines slashed because she
claims she can't afford to pay them.

Marie Buchan, 31 racked up 10 tickets in just one week after straying
into the bus lane when her youngest daughter Olivia, then aged two
months, was admitted to hospital with bronchitis.

Ms Buchan, whose children are aged between four months and 12 years
old, receives £500 a month in state handouts and said the £600 of
fines left her facing financial ruin.
Fined: Marie Buchan, 31, from Selly Oak in Birmingham, claims £2,000
a month in benefits and has had a string of bus lane fines slashed
because she says she can't afford to pay them
+3

Fined: Marie Buchan, 31, from Selly Oak in Birmingham, claims £2,000
a month in benefits and has had a string of bus lane fines slashed
because she says she can't afford to pay them

She was caught by bus lane cameras in Birmingham city centre, which
have issued more than 80,000 fines since they were installed in
September - to the anger of thousands of motorists ordered to pay the
£60 sums.
Having appealed on both grounds of financial hardship and that, like
many who have complained, the bus lane signs are inadequate and easy
to miss, Birmingham City Council has withdrawn seven of Ms Buchan's
penalty notices, cutting £420 from her bill.

However, the council says she must still pay £180 after she was
penalised while taking Olivia to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and
received the 10 fine notices in the post more than a week later.

'I made a genuine mistake,' said Ms Buchan of Selley Oak.

'I was desperate to get to the hospital and had a screaming child in
the car. I was not aware there were bus lanes until the fines came
through the post.

So what?

She should have gone by bicycle (just to make this post relevant to
uk.rec.cycling).

On Tue, 4 Feb 2014 21:13:43 -0000, "Anthony" wrote:

snip



Anthony


Was she a cyclist?

On 04/02/2014 21:13, Anthony wrote:
A single mother with eight children who receives £2,000 a month in
benefits has had a string of bus lane fines slashed because she claims
she can't afford to pay them.

Marie Buchan, 31 racked up 10 tickets in just one week after straying
into the bus lane when her youngest daughter Olivia, then aged two
months, was admitted to hospital with bronchitis.

Ms Buchan, whose children are aged between four months and 12 years old,
receives £500 a month in state handouts and said the £600 of fines left
her facing financial ruin.
Fined: Marie Buchan, 31, from Selly Oak in Birmingham, claims £2,000 a
month in benefits and has had a string of bus lane fines slashed because
she says she can't afford to pay them
+3

Fined: Marie Buchan, 31, from Selly Oak in Birmingham, claims £2,000 a
month in benefits and has had a string of bus lane fines slashed because
she says she can't afford to pay them

She was caught by bus lane cameras in Birmingham city centre, which have
issued more than 80,000 fines since they were installed in September -
to the anger of thousands of motorists ordered to pay the £60 sums.

Having appealed on both grounds of financial hardship and that, like
many who have complained, the bus lane signs are inadequate and easy to
miss, Birmingham City Council has withdrawn seven of Ms Buchan's penalty
notices, cutting £420 from her bill.

However, the council says she must still pay £180 after she was
penalised while taking Olivia to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and
received the 10 fine notices in the post more than a week later.

'I made a genuine mistake,' said Ms Buchan of Selley Oak.

'I was desperate to get to the hospital and had a screaming child in the
car. I was not aware there were bus lanes until the fines came through
the post.

Read mo
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz2sOFd8z7I


read more

Anthony

Single mom of 8 on £2000 a month?

Do you know how much it would cost to get the cheapest childcare for
that amount of time?

Many choose not to have kids, we'll need the folk around doing the basic
carer jobs that low-income family children often end up doing for care
as elderly.

Much more of a waste of time to pay people for standing outside Buck
Palace etc all day to keep the plebs out!

On 05/02/2014 07:45, Andy Wainwright wrote:

On 04/02/2014 21:13, Anthony wrote:

A single mother with eight children who receives £2,000 a month in
benefits has had a string of bus lane fines slashed because she claims
she can't afford to pay them.

[ ... ]

Having appealed on both grounds of financial hardship and that, like
many who have complained, the bus lane signs are inadequate and easy to
miss, Birmingham City Council has withdrawn seven of Ms Buchan's penalty
notices, cutting £420 from her bill.

However, the council says she must still pay £180 after she was
penalised while taking Olivia to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and
received the 10 fine notices in the post more than a week later.

'I made a genuine mistake,' said Ms Buchan of Selley Oak.

'I was desperate to get to the hospital and had a screaming child in the
car. I was not aware there were bus lanes until the fines came through
the post.

Read mo
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz2sOFd8z7I

Single mom of 8 on £2000 a month?

Yes - easily. She'd hit the upper limit of $500 a week.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/255473/dwp035.pdf

Personal allowance 13/14: £71.70
Family premium: £17.40
Child rates (x 8 @£65.62) £524.96
sub-total: £614.06

Housing costs and council tax would add another £100 a week to that with
no trouble at all. They'd probably come to a fair bit more than £100 a
week, but the total would be at least £714.06 a week, limited by the
£500 a week policy, which is the equivalent of £2166.67 a month.

Do you know how much it would cost to get the cheapest childcare for
that amount of time?

Why would she need it?

Many choose not to have kids, we'll need the folk around doing the basic
carer jobs that low-income family children often end up doing for care
as elderly.

Ordinary people - self-supporting, with jobs - voluntarily limit the
number of their children because of the costs involved (not just what
has to be paid out, but also the cost of the loss of earnings). They
don't need to be cajoled or remonstrated with.

Much more of a waste of time to pay people for standing outside Buck
Palace etc all day to keep the plebs out!

What?

On 05/02/2014 08:15, JNugent wrote:
On 05/02/2014 07:45, Andy Wainwright wrote:

On 04/02/2014 21:13, Anthony wrote:

A single mother with eight children who receives £2,000 a month in
benefits has had a string of bus lane fines slashed because she claims
she can't afford to pay them.

[ ... ]

Having appealed on both grounds of financial hardship and that, like
many who have complained, the bus lane signs are inadequate and easy to
miss, Birmingham City Council has withdrawn seven of Ms Buchan's penalty
notices, cutting £420 from her bill.

However, the council says she must still pay £180 after she was
penalised while taking Olivia to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and
received the 10 fine notices in the post more than a week later.

'I made a genuine mistake,' said Ms Buchan of Selley Oak.

'I was desperate to get to the hospital and had a screaming child in the
car. I was not aware there were bus lanes until the fines came through
the post.

Read mo
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz2sOFd8z7I


Single mom of 8 on £2000 a month?

Yes - easily. She'd hit the upper limit of $500 a week.

NB: Apologies. Above, "$" means "£".

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/255473/dwp035.pdf


Personal allowance 13/14: £71.70
Family premium: £17.40
Child rates (x 8 @£65.62) £524.96
sub-total: £614.06

Housing costs and council tax would add another £100 a week to that with
no trouble at all. They'd probably come to a fair bit more than £100 a
week, but the total would be at least £714.06 a week, limited by the
£500 a week policy, which is the equivalent of £2166.67 a month.

Do you know how much it would cost to get the cheapest childcare for
that amount of time?

Why would she need it?

Many choose not to have kids, we'll need the folk around doing the basic
carer jobs that low-income family children often end up doing for care
as elderly.

Ordinary people - self-supporting, with jobs - voluntarily limit the
number of their children because of the costs involved (not just what
has to be paid out, but also the cost of the loss of earnings). They
don't need to be cajoled or remonstrated with.

Much more of a waste of time to pay people for standing outside Buck
Palace etc all day to keep the plebs out!

What?

On 05/02/2014 08:18, JNugent wrote:
On 05/02/2014 08:15, JNugent wrote:
On 05/02/2014 07:45, Andy Wainwright wrote:

On 04/02/2014 21:13, Anthony wrote:

A single mother with eight children who receives £2,000 a month in
benefits has had a string of bus lane fines slashed because she claims
she can't afford to pay them.

[ ... ]

Having appealed on both grounds of financial hardship and that, like
many who have complained, the bus lane signs are inadequate and easy to
miss, Birmingham City Council has withdrawn seven of Ms Buchan's
penalty
notices, cutting £420 from her bill.

However, the council says she must still pay £180 after she was
penalised while taking Olivia to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and
received the 10 fine notices in the post more than a week later.

'I made a genuine mistake,' said Ms Buchan of Selley Oak.

'I was desperate to get to the hospital and had a screaming child in
the
car. I was not aware there were bus lanes until the fines came through
the post.

Read mo
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz2sOFd8z7I



Single mom of 8 on £2000 a month?

Yes - easily. She'd hit the upper limit of $500 a week.

NB: Apologies. Above, "$" means "£".

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/255473/dwp035.pdf



Personal allowance 13/14: £71.70
Family premium: £17.40
Child rates (x 8 @£65.62) £524.96
sub-total: £614.06

Housing costs and council tax would add another £100 a week to that with
no trouble at all. They'd probably come to a fair bit more than £100 a
week, but the total would be at least £714.06 a week, limited by the
£500 a week policy, which is the equivalent of £2166.67 a month.

Do you know how much it would cost to get the cheapest childcare for
that amount of time?

Why would she need it?

Many choose not to have kids, we'll need the folk around doing the basic
carer jobs that low-income family children often end up doing for care
as elderly.

Ordinary people - self-supporting, with jobs - voluntarily limit the
number of their children because of the costs involved (not just what
has to be paid out, but also the cost of the loss of earnings). They
don't need to be cajoled or remonstrated with.

Much more of a waste of time to pay people for standing outside Buck
Palace etc all day to keep the plebs out!

What?




Here's the only reason why someone should have children. The only one in
existance. Have a child or adopt one because you love children, caring
for them and being around them. If not, don't. Some people either prefer
adult company or aren't responsible enough in terms of keeping their
eyes on the kids.

Money makes no object. In fact as soon as we start seeing children as
status symbols, i.e. a privilage to be afforded with wealth, we start
breeding them like rabbits and thus trash the planet.

Here's a fact, in countries with developed welfare birth rates are not
only lower but much lower. With no incentive to either have kids (maybe
to look after you in old age etc) or not , we end up with not too many,
not to few.

It really ****es me of the blatent sexism that calls single moms
"unemployed"- having just one child, especially alone is the equivalent
of a 20 hour working week. If you had the choice between working a week
in a factory and looking after a lot of kids, unless you really love
kids, the factory is the easier option.

On 05/02/2014 08:15, JNugent wrote:

On 05/02/2014 07:45, Andy Wainwright wrote:
On 04/02/2014 21:13, Anthony wrote:

[ ... ]

Apologies to ukrc for maintaining the inapproriate cross-posting on this
thread. I didn't spot the ukrc line and would have deleted the NG had I
noticed it sooner.

On Wed, 05 Feb 2014 08:28:09 +0000, JNugent
wrote:

On 05/02/2014 08:15, JNugent wrote:

On 05/02/2014 07:45, Andy Wainwright wrote:
On 04/02/2014 21:13, Anthony wrote:

[ ... ]

Apologies to ukrc for maintaining the inapproriate cross-posting on this
thread. I didn't spot the ukrc line and would have deleted the NG had I
noticed it sooner.

You could, of course, add relevance by suggesting that the state pays
a bicycle grant to single parents to improve mobility and decrease car
dependence.