E
E
R
F
Quids in!
The UK’s Number 1 Money Magazine | ISSUE 26 Spring 2015
www.quidsinmagazine.com
t
Whhei e
De
“It’s aboeut
time w ded
demant
respec ”
AUXR
M
YO
INSIDE!
Advice on:
✔ Spending
✔ Saving
✔ Borrowing
✔ Earning
THE BAILIFFS
E
L
P
M
A
The knock that
no one wants
S
VINGS
ONLINE SA
ave
Get online, s asy
e
’s
oodles. It
CREDIT
INGert
RAcrT
edit exp
Our
tells you how
E
L
MP
SA
EAT FOR LESS
Our simple cooking
course starts here
W IN!
THIS FOOD
PROCESSOR
WORTH £170
YOUR MONEY
BE INFORMED
TAKE CONTROL
THE
WIN!
Welcome
This time last
year, we reported
how our reader
survey proved that
money worries
were affecting our
health. Almost a third of readers
felt physically ill. More skipped
meals. And over half were feeling
anxious or depressed.
We asked: What if all these
people turned up at their local
GP or Accident & Emergency
department?
This winter, hospitals were
at breaking point with record
numbers of people at their doors.
Some witnessed increased signs
of malnutrition and the BBC
reported, “experts believe poor
diet due to poverty is the main
driving factor”. Coincidence?
As White Dee reminds us, it’s
time the press and politicians
actually listened to real people and
treated us all with respect. You,
our readers, have already told us
all they need to know. They might
have worked it out by now.
sor
Proces !
d
o
o
F
A
£170
worth p11
turn to
E
L
P
M
A
S
‘FREE’ BANK ACCOUNTS TO
DISAPPEAR INSIDE 10 YEARS
Jeff Editor
Report says they will slowly be phased out
[email protected]
S
In this issue…
most people still wanted their banking
to be free, and predicted that banks will
start to introduce regular charges on their
accounts while still offering a ‘free’ service
that will be much more limited.
This may be good
news for credit
unions and other
Quids in! says…
Free banking is
bank service
a myth. The OFT
providers as
revealed in 2013 that
it will become
on average we are
clear what we
charged £139 per
actually pay for
year by our bank
our banking.
E
L
P
M
A
Jeff’s top tip…
Streetbank.com is a great
idea. It’s a list of things local
to you that your neighbours
are prepared to share, like
drills and ladders and lifts…
A report just published by Price
Waterhouse Cooper suggests that
free bank accounts will soon be a
thing of the past @quidsinmagazine
Sam Davies, retail banking leader
at PWC said “current accounts are a
product for which the minority can end up
subsidising the majority”, referring to the
fact that many more bank charges are paid
by those with overdrafts or little money.
The report found that unsurprisingly
“Now I am the
voice of the
everyday person”
White Dee page 12
“I’d pretend
there was no
one home”
“Don’t apply
for lots of
credit at once”
Beat the Bailiffs page 8
Credit ratings page 4
Quids in! magazine
Address 3 Monmouth Place, Bath, BA1 2AT. Tel 08456 8049 06
Editor Jeff Mitchell Email [email protected]
Publisher Steve Faragher Email [email protected]
Comms Officer Hannah Cameron McKenna Email hannah@ socialpublishingproject.com
Advertising Opportunities Debbie Wylde Copy Sales Rhiannon McNamara, Debbie Wylde
Email [email protected], [email protected]
In association with Quids in! Professional Network
Quids in! makes every effort to ensure content is correct at the time of going to print. Readers should take specialist advice
where necessary. Quids in! has no political allegiances, and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or
editor. Any relationship with advertisers or sponsors is always on the understanding that we retain our editorial independence.
2 | Quids in!
Quids in! magazine is designed
to help people understand and
manage their money better. It
is published quarterly by the
Social Publishing Project, a
social enterprise.
Quids in! magazine is
supported by Aon and
Aviva. Aon arranges
home contents
insurance with Aviva for
tenants of social and
council housing. Ask
your landlord if they
have a scheme in place.
BUZZ
The latest news
affecting you and
your finances
250,000 UNDER
MINIMUM WAGE
In a recently-published report
the TUC highlighted the growing
problem of people not being
paid the minimum wage by their
employers.
Frances O’Grady, the TUC’s
general secretary (pictured),
said failing to pay the
minimum wage was “an
A quarter of a million
people paid less than
they should be
E
L
MP
SA
“An antisocial act
that squeezes those
workers who have
the least.”
Photo: TUC/Sarah Turton
What a tweet!
Video of the issue
Stuart Broad
@StuartBroad8
I’ve heard if you earn
minimum wage in England
you’re in the top 10% earners
in the World. #stay #humble
MINIMUM EFFORT
I have made a deal with my children. They
are responsible for clipping coupons and
sorting through the flyers each week to
find items on sale. Then I give them 50
per cent of the money they saved thanks
to the coupons.
Angie, Solihull
Jeff says… Great idea Angie – that gets
them learning young!
15%
Number of apprentices not
paid minimum wage
40%
Of apprentice hairdressers
not paid minimum wage
if you’re underpaid call the
Pay and Work Rights Helpline
on 0800 917 2368
SPOTTED OUR
QIMAG.UK LINKS?
You can always follow up what you read
in Quids in! by turning to the internet.
Where we can, we'll point you in the
right direction with short links. Simply
type the qimag.uk/link (as it appears in
the story) into the web address bar on
your browser and press 'enter'.
UNIVERSAL CREDIT
Everything we need to know. Well
done WM Homes! qimag.uk/qi26vid
JOIN THE CONVERSATION…
COUPON CRAZY
£2.73
Minimum wage for
apprentices
E
L
P
M
A
S
It’s not quite that simple though is it?
Stick to the cricket, Broady.
£6.50
Minimum wage for
people 21 and over
antisocial act that squeezes those workers
who have the least.”
The TUC have called on the government
to employ more inspectors. They’ve also
asked for any companies known to be
underpaying to be ‘named and shamed’.
The underpayment is worst among
apprentices and those working in
social care, with some estimates
suggesting that 10% of the latter
are not paid minimum wage.
According to the Trades Union
Congress (TUC) workers in Britain
are still being underpaid by dodgy
employers @quidsinmagazine
NUMBER
CRUNCHED
MINIMUM WAGE
WIN
£50
POST The Editor, Quids In!
3 Monmouth Place, Bath BA1 2AT
EMAIL [email protected]
TWEET @quidsinmagazine.com
Have you got something you want to tell
us, or a money-saving hint or tip to share?
Each issue we’ll send £50 to our best
letter writer, emailer or tweeter! Don’t
forget to include your name and address.
Quids in! | 3
T
I
D
E
CR
WHERE
E
U
D
S
’
T
CREDI
E
L
P
M
A
We’ve all heard of credit ratings, but
what are they exactly? And why do
they matter? Quids in! investigates...
E
S
verybody has a credit rating, it’s
just that we don’t always know
it. Our credit rating contains
details of all the loans and credit we’ve
taken out and how up to date we are
with repayments. Our credit rating
matters because anyone we ask for
credit will check our rating to see if
we’re likely to pay the credit back,
based on our history. And credit doesn’t
just mean bank loans or credit cards,
it also applies to things like telephone
and broadband contracts, and gas and
electricity too. If we’ve got a good credit
rating we’re much more likely to get
good credit, which can mean we pay less
interest on any loans we take out, and
we won’t have to have an expensive prepayment meter for gas or electricity.
er
areful with h
c
is
E
R
I
A
L
C
.
ver borrows
e
n
d
n
a
y
e
n
mo
nt on time
e
r
r
e
h
s
y
a
p
She
CREDaIThighRAcrTedINitGrating as there’s
not have
ire joined
Claire might
look at. If Cla
to
g
in
ow
rr
bo
edit file
no history of
panel) her cr
ee
(s
e
ng
ha
xc
The Rental E
grow
would start to
MEANitShard to get
WHATeIT
ig
m ht find
t sh
tal
At the momen
join The Ren
er if she can
ev
w
e
credit, ho
or
e’ll have m
Exchange sh
e future.
choices in th
E
L
P
M
A
S
IT RATING
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CREDing
.
We can all improve our credit rat
Jones’
Here are Experian’s expert James
ing
rat
top tips to get a better credit
DO
✔ Get on the electoral register
ts
✔ Set up agreements to pay old deb
ed to the
ster
regi
are
ts
deb
r
you
sure
e
Mak
✔
ress
correct name and add
make
✔ Borrow small amounts first and
time
on
ts
paymen
✔ Cancel unused credit cards
apply
✔ Shop around for credit and only
for you
l
dea
best
the
d
foun
when you’ve
–
get
to
ly
like
are
you
it
cred
for
✔ Apply
sites
son
useful tools on price compari
allow you to do this
4 | Quids in!
DON’T
✘ Miss payments or make late
payments if you can help it
✘ Apply for lots of credit at once
✘ Neglect repayment requests
(you could be issued with a court
judgment that stays on your
credit report for six years)
If you’ve got any other questions
about credit ratings you can
tweet James @AskJames
GETTING A COPY OF
YOUR CREDIT RATING
Quids in! recommends getting a copy
of your report if you’re planning to
apply for a major financial product
like a mortgage, or if you’re having
trouble getting credit so you can find
out why. By law, you can get a copy of
your credit report for £2. You can either
do this online at www.experian.co.uk/
consumer/statutory-report.html or by
writing to Customer Support Centre,
Experian Ltd, PO Box 8000, Nottingham
NG80 7WF. Enclose a cheque for £2
payable to Experian and tell them all
your addresses for the last six years.
In association with
LUCY is behind
with her credit c
ard
payments and ig
noring the
letters that are pil
ing up
E
L
P
M
A
CREDIT RATING
Her history of miss
ed payments will
count
against her and he
r credit rating will
be
affected
S
WHAT IT MEANS
Lucy is unlikely to
have her applicatio
ns
for credit accept
ed and may even
struggle
to get a mobile ph
one contract. Gas
and
electricity provid
ers would want he
r
to
be on a pre-paym
ent meter
MIKE’S pretty
.
good with his cash
pays
He borrows but he
e
back, mostly on tim
E
L
P
M
A
S
TING as
CREDIT RA
wi
He ll be seen
Mike’s will be high.
who pays back what
a reliable customer
he borrows
WHAT ITofMgeEAttiNS
ng low rates if
ce
Mike has more chan
w money or get credit
rro
bo
to
s
ed
he ne
GETTING YOUR CREDIT RATING
PUT RIGHT, IF IT’S WRONG
If you think there’s a mistake on your credit report you can
get it put right by contacting Experian by email at consumer.
[email protected] or by writing to Customer Support
Centre, Experian Ltd, PO BOX 9000, Nottingham NG80 7WP
EXPERIAN’S RENTAL EXCHAN GE PROGRAMME
In the past, the odds were stacked
against social housing
tenants when it came to building up
a good credit rating.
Monthly rents didn’t count, while
mortgage payments did –
a system that really favoured hom
eowners.
The good news is that a new initiativ
e called The Rental
Exchange is finally levelling the play
ing field. With The
Rental Exchange, your landlord shar
es details of your
regular rent payments with lenders
via Experian, the UK’s
leading credit agency.
According to Big Issue Invest, whic
h masterminded the
initiative, more than 70% of social
housing tenants will
be able to improve their credit ratin
gs with The Rental
Exchange. For you, that could mea
n access to safer and
more affordable credit.
By giving lenders reliable informa
tion about who you
are and where you live, The Rental
Exchange also helps you
pass online identity checks and get
preferable rates for
goods and services.
Ask your landlord if they’re part of
The Rental Exchange.
Experian runs the UK’s leading credit reference agency.
Other agencies are available
Quids in! | 5
twitter.com/MyHomeFinance
My Home Finance
There for you, fair for you
A £300
loan from us
could save
you as much
as £160
compared to
a doorstep
loan
E
L
P
M
A
S
Loan
examples
Total
amount
of credit
My Home
Finance
£300
Doorstep
loan
£300
(representative
example)
E
L
P
M
A
Duration
APR
of
agreement
Annual
interest
rate
Interest
payable
Admin fee
Weekly
Total
payment amount
payable
52 weeks
69.5% APR
22.89%
fixed
£68.68
£15.00*
£7.09
£383.68
52 weeks
272.2% APR
82.00%
fixed
£246.00
£10.50
£546.00
S
*Administration fee is 5% of the amount borrowed to be paid up front.
Call us on
0121 212 9568
www.myhomefinance.org.uk
Terms and conditions apply. Finance subject to status, aged 18s and over. Comparison figures correct as at
November 1st 2014. Finance provided by My Home Finance Limited, 25 Procter Street, London WC1V 6NY.
My Home Finance is a not for profit social enterprise. Company registration number is 7236812.
TRAWLING FOR
G
N
I
S
V
A
S
LE
P
M
SA
Among other things, the web is like a
massive net designed to help shoppers
trawl for the best deals
4 FREE YOURSELF
According to our research, a quarter of
Quids in! readers have no access to the
internet. And among those who are online,
just 43% would shop online. Yet the same
survey also showed that people using
computers were clealry better off. So
how can everyone share the riches that
the web can bring?
1
Sometimes it costs a bomb just to
rid yourself of old kit but if it could be new
to someone else, post it on freegle.org or
Google search ‘charity donation pick up’ or
try qimag.uk/re-use1
MINE IS BIGGER THAN YOURS
5 BILLS, BILLS, BILLS
Compare online bargains with what’s
in the local shops. Looking for a TV or
something small like a CD? Type what
you’re looking for into the search bar on
google.com or yahoo.com and see who’s
selling it cheapest
2
DEAL ME IN
3
FREE FOR ALL
There are hundreds of special offers
online. Vouchercloud.com, for example, will
tempt you with online offers and deals you
can claim locally. It’s only a saving if you
were going to splash out anyway, though
SAVED
£12.85
E
L
P
M
A
S
You can pick up a load of stuff for
free or cheap with websites like freegle.
org, myskip.com and gumtree.com.
Anything from carpets to cardigans are
out there, with a little virtual digging
Many are sceptical about comparison
sites. More regulation is needed but in
the meantime, using a couple at a time
will maximise your chance of finding the
cheapest gas, electric, insurance and more,
whatever deals may have been struck
between the site and the suppliers
IN JUST TEN
MINUTES
ON THE NET
WE SAVED
OURSELVES…
6 GET WIRED
Buying DVDs? Subscribing to Netflix
or Amazon (even if you buy a cable linking
your computer and TV) could save money,
or check out what’s on YouTube for free.
Love CDs? Listen to almost any music
on Spotify. Quids in! has just launched a
YouTube Channel with a free music playlist
for readers – save yourself the cost of the
latest Now! CD: qimag.uk/qipop1
7 LOOKS TOO GOOD?
Most things that look too good to be
true usually are but if you want to know
for sure, check it out online. Search for
reviews or check out the small print
We landed a
smart shoe
storage cabinet
worth £31.99
for free from SAVED
£31.99
Freegle
And got ourselves a swanky
haircut and condition for just
£15 instead of £55
on Vouchercloud
SAVED
£40
One word of caution ...
Good websites are about helping their visitors. They recognise they’ll
make
money in the end if people feel good about their brand. But everyon
e is
trying to make money, so watch out for the ads, requests for your
email
(unless you can clearly turn down spam), and ‘in app purchases’ where
parents have been caught out letting their kids play games.
We signed up
to Spotify for
free and saved
ourselves
£12.85 on the
latest Now! CD
L
TOTA S
G
SAVIN 4!
£79.8
Quids in! | 7
TRUE-LIFE STORY
BEAT THE
?
S
FF
BAILIM
E
L
P
SA
ever you've wondered
It's thankfully a rare event, but if
s at the door, here's
what to do when the knock come
our definitive guide…
I
“
just couldn’t face reading the letters
any more,” says Danny. “I know I
should have done something about
them, but I was just unable to cope.”
“I knew the bailiffs would come
sooner or later. If I was at home during the
day I used to draw all the curtains and if
there was a knock at the door I’d pretend
there was no one home. I’d dash around
turning the telly and lights off. Once I even
hid behind the sofa because I thought
someone was peering through the window
looking for me.”
“Then one day my wife answered the
door. And before I could stop her she’d
asked them in. In the end I don’t really
know what I’d been so scared about. They
took away the telly, but that was the only
thing they thought was worth taking. And
they weren’t even that mean about it, just a
bit big and scary.”
“And funnily enough that kind of sorted
me out. We had a blazing row that night,
“I thought someone
was peering
through the window
looking for me"
E
L
P
M
A
S
but in the end I had to admit I was wrong.
Then I started the process to become
bankrupt, and now, two years later, it feels
like I can really start again, without all the
debts hanging around me.”
Danny’s story is a familiar one to us
all in these difficult times. But he could
have made life easier by facing up to his
problems sooner. Sometimes though the
Bailiffs have to be faced, and if they do it’s
worth knowing what your rights are…
STAY ON TOP OF YOUR DEBTS
The best way we can stop the bailiffs
from coming round is to deal with our
debt problems. That means contacting
the people we owe money to and
arranging a repayment plan. If we can’t
face doing it ourselves we can get a
charity like StepChange to do it for us.
They’ll negotiate with the people we
8 | Quids in!
owe money to on our behalf. See the
useful numbers on page 11.
However we sort out our debts, we
must remember that some are more
important than others. Rent, council tax
and court fines all need to be at the top
of the pile, these are the debts that can
get you evicted or put into prison.
THE QUIDS IN! GUIDE TO
DEALING WITH THE BAILIFFS
IDENTIFY THEM
Before you let a bailiff in to take your
things or pay them, ask to see:
¬ proof of their identity, eg a badge, ID
card or enforcement agent certificate
¬ which company they’re from
¬ a telephone contact number
¬ a detailed breakdown of the amount
owed. Remember you can challenge
this if you don't agree
Anyone who claims to be a bailiff and isn’t
one is committing fraud.
OPTION 2 PAY THEM
You can pay the bailiff on the doorstep –
you don’t have to let them into your home.
¬ make sure you get a receipt to prove
you’ve paid
¬ if you can’t pay all the money right
away, speak to the bailiff about how
you could pay the money back
¬ offer to pay what you can afford in
weekly or monthly payments
The bailiff doesn’t have to accept your
offer.
E
L
P
M
A
OPTION 1 DON'T LET THEM IN
S
You usually don’t have to open your door
to a bailiff or let them in.
Bailiffs can’t enter your home:
¬ by force, eg push past you
¬ if only children under 16 or vulnerable
people (eg disabled) are present
¬ between 9pm and 6am
¬ through anything except the door
Bailiffs are allowed to force their way into
your home to collect unpaid criminal fines,
Income Tax or Stamp Duty, but only as a
last resort.
If you don’t let a bailiff in or agree to pay
them:
¬ they could take things from outside
your home, eg your car
¬ you could end up owing even more
money
If you do let a bailiff in but don’t pay them
they may take some of your belongings.
They could sell the items to pay debts
and cover their fees.
OPTION 3 DO LET THEM IN
If you let a bailiff into your home, they
may take some of your belongings to sell.
They'll start by making a list of everything
you have. Bailiffs can take luxury items –
eg a TV or games console. Once you've let
them in they can take what they want with
a few exceptions. They can’t take:
¬ things you need, eg your clothes,
cooker, fridge
¬ work tools and equipment which
together are worth less than £1,350
¬ someone else’s belongings. You’ll have
to prove that someone else’s goods
don’t belong to you.
Thanks to Arfan Bhatti. http://me.arfanbhatti.com
E
L
P
M
A
S
Quids in! | 9
The Rental Exchange
E
L
P
M
A
S
E
L
P
M
A
S
The Rental Exchange - Helping you get safer,
more affordable credit
Through the Rental Exchange your landlord can help
you to build your credit score, by sharing details of
your regular rent payments.
Homeowners already benefit from this as mortgage
providers share payment histories automatically.
A better credit score may help to:
• Open a bank account
• Get a new credit card
• Have a loan application approved
• Shop online
• Receive better gas and electricity rates
• Receive better mobile phone rates
Ask your landlord about joining the
Rental Exchange today.
By Social
Entrepreneurs
For Social
Entrepreneurs
Odds & Ends
The page that has all the bits that don’t fit anywhere else!
PRIZE CROSSWORD
Win a Food Processor worth £170
WIN!
4
5
8
S
11
12
ACROSS
5. Food in the Rover’s Return (6)
7. Remove skin (4)
8. Traditional with chips (4)
10.Oriental pasta (6)
11.Cuppa (3)
12.It’s a fruit, actually (6)
DOWN
1. Another name for peanut (6,3)
2. Slice with knife (4)
3. Place to cook food (7)
4. Cookery boss (4)
6. Green or black, pressed for oil (5)
9. Sweet stuff bees make (5)
THE QUIDS IN!
SIMPLE COOKING COURSE
E
L
MP
SA
DEBT ADVICE
Get in touch with any of the
organisations below to get
free advice and help.
CREDIT UNIONS
• National Debtline
fornotare
Credit unions
✆ 0808 808 4000
profit organisations that
www.nationaldebtline.
,
unts
acco
bank
ide
prov
co.uk
They
loans and savings.
• StepChange Debt Charity
may help people the banks
✆ 0800 138 1111
l
loca
your
nd
fi
won’t. To
www.stepchange.org
credit union call ✆ 0161
Offers free debt
832 3694 or visit www.
management plans, debt
.uk.
n.co
unio
edit
findyourcr
advice and more.
• Citizens Advice
S
EFIT
BEN
www.citizensadvice.org.
and
t
men
• For unemploy
uk.
work-related benefits talk
in Wales call ✆ 08444
.
Plus
e
entr
to Jobc
77 20 20 England call ✆
or
ies
• People with disabilit
08444 111 444
carers should contact the
9
10
✆ QUIDS IN! USEFUL NUMBERS
Benefit Enquiry Line
(✆ 0800 882200) and
for Child Benefit and tax
credits call the Inland
Revenue
(✆ 0845 300 3900).
• Council Tax and Housing
Benefit is dealt with by
your local council.
• Pensioners should call
the Pensions Service (✆
0800 99 12340).
6
7
To enter the draw simply complete the crossword
and pop it in the post to us. Don’t forget to include
your name and address. Send your completed crossword
to Kenwood Mixer, Quids in!, 3 Monmouth Place, Bath BA1
2AT. Or you can enter by taking a pic of your completed
crossword and sending it to editor@quidsinmagazine.
com. Closing Date 31st May 2015. See our website for our
standard terms and conditions.
LOAN SHARKS
The National Illegal Money
Lending Team tackles
loan sharks. To report a
loan shark anonymously
you can call them 365
days a year on ✆ 0300
555 2222, text LOAN
SHARK and your details
to 60003 or email them
at reportaloanshark@
stoploansharks.gov.uk.
In Wales call ✆ 0300 123
3311or send an email to
[email protected]
3
2
E
L
P
M
A
We’ve got a top-of-the-range Kenwood Multi-Pro
Food Mixer to give away to one lucky reader...
The Multipro FDM790 includes a 3 litre bowl for
family sized meals, a 0.5 litre mini bowl for chopping
small quantities and a 1.5 litre thermo-resistant
blender for making ice cold smoothies or hot soups
with no risk of cracking. It also has built in scales so
no more weighing everything out before you put it in
the bowl!
HOW TO ENTER
1
1. Simple Tomato Sauce
A simple tomato sauce can be the
basis of so much good food. And
this one is easy, inexpensive and
delicious. Put seafood in it and
serve it over jacket potatoes. Add
minced beef and red kidney beans
and you’ve got chilli con carne. Blitz
it to make the best-tasting pizza
topping ever. And it’s even great,
served just as it is, with some pasta
and a sprinkle of cheese.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes (or
half a dozen chopped fresh ones)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 medium onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 garlic clove (optional)
• 1 chilli (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• A pinch of sugar
• A teaspoon of vinegar
• A pinch of dried herbs
• Salt and pepper to taste
SERVES
2-4
COSTS
60p
METHOD
1. Chop the onion and chilli, grate
the carrot and crush the garlic. Put
the oil in a frying pan over a medium
heat. Add onion, bay leaf, carrot,
garlic and chilli and fry until soft.
2. Add the tomatoes, herbs, sugar
and vinegar and cook over a low
heat – the longer the better. Add
water if needed, to keep it moist.
3. Taste it, add salt and pepper. Fish
out the bay leaf. Serve.
Visit www.quidsinmagazine.com
for more recipes and cooking ideas
Quids in! | 11
IN THE KNOW…
DEIRDRE
KELLY
E
L
P
M
SA
She’s better
known as
‘White Dee’, off
Benefits Street,
and she’s got a
lot to say about
attitudes to
people claiming
benefits
I
’m just me. I’m normal. Do
you know what I mean?”
Talking to Dee Kelly is a
breath of fresh air on a dull
winter morning. The star of
Benefits Street and Celebrity
Big Brother tells Quids in! that
she’s keeping her feet on the
ground. She hasn’t changed,
she claims, and it seems she
has and she hasn’t.
Benefits Street first aired
in January 2014 and followed
the residents of Birmingham’s
Turner Street. It claimed to
present the reality of life for
benefit claimants and their
neighbours but simply added
fuel to critics who blame
poorer people for their poverty.
Viewers often asked: ‘Why
would people agree to go on TV
like this?’
“The production company
duped us,” Dee, (known on the
programme as White Dee),
12 | Quids in!
E
L
P
M
A
explains. “We were told it would
be about how you get on and
how we help each other but it
turned out to be something
else, something controversial.
I suppose 12 million people
wouldn’t watch a television
programme about how we
helped each other.”
“It backfired, though,
because now I am the voice of
the everyday person.”
It’s true. Dee appeared on
the Daily Politics in December.
In a short clip for the show,
Dee argued claimants are not
wrong for claiming, it was the
S
“I’m just m
I’m normal.e.
Do you know
what I mea
n?
government that set up the
system and they should look
at themselves if they’re not
happy about it. Speaking with
an unpolished Brummie accent,
she seemed to disarm the
politicians and presenters.
“It was really weird.
Politicians don’t seem to come
face to face with real people and
when they do they’re surprised
to find we’re not stupid. I think
real people like us really do need
to demand respect.”
Dee laughs raucously at the
idea of running for election right
now. She aims to stay true to
her roots but accepts Benefits
Street put her in a position to
make a good deal of money: “My
priorities are my kids. I’m riding
the wave. There is a new reality
series coming up but nothing
lasts forever.”
Like most other media
talking about claimants, the
internet reveals plenty of
hatred towards Dee. “The media
think it’s okay to label people
‘the scum of the earth’. We’re
still called benefit cheats and
scroungers, described as lazy,
told to get a job – a year later. I
just live in the knowledge that
they don’t know me.”
Her advice to people who are
struggling is to ask for help. “You
can be proud but if you need
help, ask for it. I’ve been there
and there’s definitely a pride
thing but if I had asked for help
I wouldn’t have ended up with a
criminal record.”
“Communities help each
other. We were labelled the
worst scroungers in Britain but
we were helping each other.”
WATCH THE VIDEO
See Dee’s short clip for the
Daily Politics: qimag.uk/Dee1