Mum tells kids Santa isn't real because Universal Credit delays mean she can't afford gifts

In heart-breaking news, a mum has said that she had "no choice" but to tell her young children Santa doesn't exist because she is not able to buy them Christmas presents.

Suzanne Coates said she was forced to tell her two children the truth because the government’s Universal Credit system has left her without the money to buy gifts. To avoid disappointment, she was forced to reveal that Santa is not real.

Coates told Hull Daily Mailthat she has been left with just £34 for her and her two children to survive off for five weeks. She switched to Universal Credit after getting a job as a cleaner, which then meant she had to come off Job Seekers Allowance.

The government’s roll out of Universal Credit has been widely criticised, with people up and down the country struggling to make ends meet while payments are delayed.

Coates said:

I feel really bad because I've said to the kids 'Santa isnt real, I do it, I go shopping, I put your presents out. I told them everything.

I've been crying so much recently, I've been an emotional wreck, I feel poorly constantly, stressing about it. I didn't want to tell them but I had no choice.

Ms Coates said she was "determined" to get a job to make a better life for her children, but now wishes she had not taken her job and stayed on JSA.

I don't know how I'll manage, but we do, we buy from charity shops, I budget, I always make sure I've got a full freezer.

Thankfully, she said her children have been understanding and are still hoping to have a nice Christmas.

We're still going to have a good Christmas, but more of a happier one.

Because of me telling them about Santa I feel a bit more happier knowing that they understand and know they know why I've been so upset, which I have.

Usually I'm an organised as a mum but this year I changed and got a job to make something better for me and the kids and it's ended up worse.

Bizarrely, when the story was splashed across the pages of the local newspaper, people started to complain about the headline, rather than address the root cause of the issue.

H/T: Hull Daily Mail

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