Wednesday, May 5, 2010

$30,000 benefits so this father of seven can keep his children in video games... and pay his huge booze bill

Their loud and drunken behavior makes the lives of their neighbors a misery - and it is all being funded by state handouts of $30,000 a year.

Residents are petitioning to have Jane and Lee Houghton, their five youngest children and a grandson evicted.

But with a new bathroom and kitchen on its way, paid for by the council, and a house filled with numerous games consoles, computers and TVs they have no intention of moving.

And Mr Houghton yesterday insisted they need more money.
The 42-year-old is paid $225 a month disability allowance because he has a 'personality disorder' which makes him 'kick off in crowds'. He has not worked since 1999 and says drinking alcohol helps him cope with his condition.
He has been threatened with an Asbo for violent behavior as well as being drunk and disorderly and has 24 previous convictions.

Photobucket

Houghtons: Left to right, Chelsea, her son Dion, Lee, Summer, Jane, Chanelle and Emma

The comfortable lifestyle of the Houghton family is funded by benefits including $960 income support, $318 carer's allowance a month as well as Mr Houghton's $225 disability allowance.

Their four-bedroom semi- detached house in Crawley, West Sussex, is paid for by housing benefit.


The Houghtons boast about spending $1500 on each of their children at Christmas. They have seven children and their eldest daughter, Emma, has her own council home.

Mrs Houghton told Closer magazine: 'I only get carer's allowance because my 16-year- old daughter Chelsea has ADHD.

'We get disability allowance for Lee too because of his personality disorder, but we should get more.

'They've even stopped giving me child benefit for Chelsea because she's a mum now - yet they won't give her a council house until she's 18 - it's so unfair!'

She added: 'We only get $225 a month disability allowance for Lee, which isn't enough. His personality disorder makes him really moody so he should get more.'

The couple have been together since Mr Houghton was 17 and his wife was 14. They had their first child Lee, now aged 23, a year later, followed by Emma, 20, James, 18, Chelsea Ann Stamford Bridge, 16 - named after Mr Houghton's favorite football team and their home ground - Joanne, 14, Jack, ten, and Summer, two.
They share their home with their five youngest children and Chelsea's son Dion, ten months.

Emma lives with three-year- old daughter Chanelle in her own council home. Their only child with a job is eldest son Lee, who works as a cleaner.
'We use our money to spoil our kids - they've got everything,' said Mrs Houghton. 'We've got a computer and a laptop, four TVs, two Xboxes, three DVD players and we've all got mobile phones.'

The Houghtons moved to their current home in 2001 after being evicted from their previous house for failing to pay the rent, despite receiving housing benefit which covered it.

They freely admit they 'did it on purpose' as they wanted a new home.
Mrs Houghton said: 'We made up some b******t about Lee chucking me out as we knew if we played the game I'd get another house.' Since
moving in, the family has made the lives of their neighbors hell, blasting out loud music from their home, while Mr Houghton drunkenly falls over in the street and rides his motorbike on the pavement.

His previous convictions are mainly for drink-related offences, such as swearing at police officers and shouting abuse at people in the street.
But he insists it is his family who are being picked on.
'We've had enough of being branded thugs. We're a good family,' said Mr Houghton.

'The old woman opposite us was always watching my kids out of her window and moaning about them being loud. About ten of our neighbors signed her petition.'

He added: 'Drinking helps me cope with my personality disorder. I start with a bottle of Jack Daniels then have a few cans of cider. By the afternoon I can hardly walk.'
'If people want to work, good for them. I would if I could, but I'm too ill.'
A former neighbor described Mr Houghton as a 'nasty bully'.


No comments:

digitalpoint

Geo Visitors Map

~WHIRLED GNUS~

Followers

Blog Archive