I spend my child benefits on handbags and holidays, trolls call me a ‘jobless scrounger’ but they’re just missing out

WITH the cost of living higher than ever before many mums will be relying on their child benefit for essentials more than ever this year.

But for mum-of-two Karen Allerton the government payment is more likely to be funding her latest holiday or a new handbag.

Karen, 42, isn’t bothered that she’s labelled a ‘jobless scrounger’, she loves boasting about scamming the child benefits system and getting more free government cash.

Tough talking nurse Karen from Nottingham, Notts, is mum to Alex 14, and George, 12, says that other parents should be taking a leaf out of her book when it comes to benefits.

Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, brazen Karen reveals why she has no shame when it comes to her government payouts.

“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.

Dreaming of cocktails on the beach I make a cuppa and scroll through my social media feed and as usual the trolls are out in force.

I’d uploaded a Tok Tok video earlier telling followers I’d bought a new handbag and was going on holiday with some of  my ‘child benefit cash’ and I knew it would hit a nerve.

My trolls brand me a ‘lazy cow’ and a ‘scrounger’. They forever tell me to get a job but the funny thing is I work full time as a nurse.

If the online meanies think their tough talk scares me they’re wrong, their trolling makes me laugh and I think their comments are hilarious.

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.

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.

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In fact I’m doing mums and dads across Great Britain a huge favour,  rather than complaining they should be thanking me and doing the same.

They’re crazy if they turn down free money.

If you’re not taking advantage of the government loophole then you’re bonkers.

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

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.

I told my ex to lodge a claim for our youngest at his place and when he did he started getting £21.80.

Because my 14 year old son was the only child living full-time at my house instead of £14.45 a week the government started paying me £21.80 for him.

So both mum and dad in separate homes got the ‘eldest child allowance.

That means we got between households  an extra £7.45 a week.

I was shocked because I have two kids and George is my second son meaning  I thought his dad would get a  lower amount.

When I checked I discovered  it’s a legal ‘scam’ a loophole and hundreds of thousands of parents aren't taking advantage of it.

If a family splits up and you have two kids and one stays with you and one lives with the other parent you both get £21.80 a week.

I also found out if  you’re a family of two or more kids and the eldest turns 18 then the second oldest moves up into the number one spot and their child benefit increases to £21.80.

I figured I’d do my ‘civic duty’ and share my benefits scam trick with others on TikTok.

It’s a legal scam and we all deserve free money especially if the government's paying

While some people thanked me, thousands of others attacked me, trolling me for being a scamming scrounger.

Overnight the fifteen second legal benefit scam video received tens of thousands of views,  over 41,000 likes and was shared almost one thousand times.

Then when I told my followers I’d bought a new handbag and booked a holiday away without my kids partly using the extra cash from child benefits the trolls kicked off again.

They clearly didn’t listen long enough to know the handbag was new from a car boot sale for less than a quid and the holiday deposit was a tenner.

I mean I deserve that - if you’ve ever been on holiday with my two lads you need a holiday to get over it.

I only started a TikTok account in October 2020 because the kids were driving me bonkers watching these videos in lockdown.

At the time I was working full-time as a nurse in the NHS and people had lots of questions about pay and shifts.

I soon realised being controversial was fun so since then I have been out to shock and take on the trolls.

When I shared my benefits scam I didn't expect so many views and comments.

What the online bullies seem unable to grasp is that I went to university and now I work fulltime as a  private nurse in a Botox clinic now.

I have always worked since I was 14 years old and had a job as a pot washer on the weekends in a local café.

And contrary to what my trolls believe I don’t live on a council estate and I own my own home.

I happily answer back the trolls  and explain I work and own a house but that just sets them off again.

They tell me I should give up my child benefit because I work but child benefits are offered to every parent in the country.

Another video of mine went viral when I explained that while the threshold  is £50,000 if you and your partner each earn less than that it doesn't affect your child benefit.

So you can both earn £49, 000 each and still get it even though your income in total together is £98,000 and that’s full child benefit.

It’s only when you partner’s income or yours exceeds £50,000  individually do the tax implications occurs

It’s all legal but when I shared it the trolls started up again branding me a ‘scam artist’ and telling me I should be ashamed.

I like to educate people but I know controversy gets the likes, comments and followers.

Having the name Karen doesn’t help because being a ‘Karen’ is now considered to be someone who is ignorant.

But that doesn’t stop me, I have even recorded a rap video about being called Karen!

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.

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