A mum who lives in a council house has told how she gives her child £500-a-month in pocket money.
TikToker Whitney Ainscough, 30, revealed that she even lets her 11-year-old daughter have a bank card. The mum, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, said people think she is “absolutely mad” for wiring £500 onto her eldest daughter Cora’s bank card each month.
Whitney told her followers that the schoolgirl likes to spend the cash on acrylic nails or designer shoes. The mum-of-three has gone viral on the platform on several occasions.
Last year, as reported in the Mirror, she told followers she spent over £10,000 on her kids at Christmas.
She said: “I personally don’t see the problem. If I can afford to do that, then why not?”
The mum admitted she monitors whatever Cora buys to make sure she doesn’t purchase anything she shouldn’t. She said she never experienced anything similar when she was younger but wanted to spend her money on her children as she was in a good state financially.
She added when her other children – Addison, five, and Adley, two – are older, she will get them bank cards and give them similar amounts of cash. Ainscough further explained that by doing this, her children would learn the value of money and financial responsibility.
Ainscough’s comments divided people on the social media platform. Many argued the amount was too much for her children.
TikTok user Boo said: “Put it away for a deposit for her house.”
Icam140 added: “Jesus my 14 year old gets £60 a month! We live a very fortunate life but that seems very excessive” What’s her incentive to go get a job at 16?” While Katei posted: “I’d personally put it in a savings so interest gets added and there will be a huge chunk for her when she turns 18 or 21.”
According to NatWest Rooster Money – a family pocket money app – the average 11-year-old is given £5.75 each week. At 16, the average increases to £12.75. Ainscough was on Universal Credit up until just a few months ago.
The mum regularly racks up tens of thousands of views on her TikTok account @itsmebadmom. Her pinned video “come make my child lunch with me” alone has been viewed more than 10.9 million times. She now makes thousands of pounds a month from her videos.
Ainscough told Fabulous that she made £17,000 in February – despite living in a council house. She also explained she came off benefits in August and is not committing fraud.
She said: “I’m not fleecing the taxpayer, something I have been accused of by followers on TikTok. I am not committing benefit fraud.
“I was legally entitled to Universal Credit and I’ve paid into the system for many years. And after on one occasion making more than £2,000 in a week through my TikTok videos, I’ve now come off benefits and make an average of £800 a week.”
Our sister title, the Mirror, contacted Ainscough for comment.
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