I sleep with men for £10 because Universal Credit’s left me and my seven-year-old destitute – I’ll even see punters on Christmas Day
Single mum Charlotte sold her son's toys after being forced to live on £1.64 a day on Universal Credit. When she had no possessions left to sell, she sold herself
A SINGLE mum has bravely revealed that she's been forced to sell her body for as little as £10 in order to feed her seven-year-old son while struggling to survive on Universal Credit.
Charlotte, 27, from South London, makes around £200 a week by performing sexual favours on as many as 15 men.
Heartbreakingly, the mum of one says she feels abandoned by the Government - and that it's only her punters “I can trust”.
Sometimes Charlotte's clients visit her home when her son's at school.
While her son has no idea the lengths his mother is going to in order to provide for him, he already knows the family are struggling and hasn't asked for a single Christmas present.
She said: “He’s really understanding about the whole thing.”
Tragically Charlotte is so destitute she's planning on seeing clients on Christmas Day.
“I haven’t got a choice. I’ll be doing it over Christmas too - what am I meant to do?" she says.
'I sleep with men to buy food in Iceland'
The former housekeeper, who lives on an estate, had to give up her job when she had her son because she couldn't afford childcare.
She moved onto Universal Credit in January when she moved home and describes the system as “vile” after falling £500 behind with her rent and being threatened with eviction.
She now receives £467-a-month in Universal Credit after her rent has been paid to her landlord and her debts of £126 a month were taken off.
After she's paid the rest of her bills, she's left with £1.64 a day to live on.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun as part of our Make Universal Credit Work campaign, she says: "At times I have had to sleep with men for some change - just £10 or £20 so I can buy some food in Iceland, just so my son doesn’t go hungry."
And mum-of-three Emma Mullins, 42, also revealed how she had been faced with the shocking choice between “selling myself or my children eating”.
Claiming benefits after being diagnosed with a brain tumour, Emma told charity Tomorrow’s Women: “We had just been made homeless and we had nothing, no food, nothing. I still feel angry when I think about it now that I had to degrade myself – but it was either that or see my children starve.
"I would do it again if I had to, but I hope I’m never in that situation again.”
'Most mothers who are sex workers are single mothers'
Cari Mitchell, a representative for the English Collective of Prostitutes added: “Most sex workers are mothers and most of those are single mothers.
"They're placed in an impossible situation where for increasing numbers the option to go into the sex industry in order to survive becomes real."
In October, MP Frank Field shocked the House of Commons when he revealed women in his Birkenhead constituency were selling themselves for sex for the first time as a result of hardship caused by the introduction of Universal Credit.
After The Sun shared Charlotte's story with Mr Field, he says he will be writing to Department for Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd about her case.
"Here we have yet another awful example of Universal Credit pushing vulnerable mothers, who are trying to protect their children, to rock bottom and beyond," he told The Sun.
"I’ll be asking the new Secretary of State what additional help, if any, the Government can offer so that Universal Credit ceases to be an agent for exploitation."
Amber Rudd has responded to the Sun's campaign, saying she's listening to Sun readers as she tries to improve Universal Credit for working families.
A DWP spokeswoman told The Sun: "We’re committed to ensuring people can get help when they need it most – advance payments and budgeting support are available and rent can be paid directly to the landlord where necessary.”
*Charlotte's name has been changed.