CATHY-ANN SPRINGER does not know how she is going to support her two children after her welfare benefits were discontinued.
The 38-year-old, who has been getting $180 every two weeks for the past five years, said the payment ended abruptly and without prior notice.
“I did not receive my cheque for last month so I went to see my officer, and she told me that her supervisor told her to stop it because I have to go and put the two children fathers in court. She did not want to tell me anything else, so I came back home . . . I feel so bad that it get take off. I don’t know what else to do.”
Springer, who is unemployed, said the Welfare Department was aware of her difficulties in getting the fathers to support their children.
“I had the little boy father in court once and he put $25 on the credit union for him and nothing more.
Her children are aged seven and 14.
“The Welfare should have given me time to put them in court and see what would happen,” she said.
In terms of her working history, Springer, who lives with her mother and sister at Spring Garden, St Michael, said she was laid off last year from her job at a day nursery.
“I have been writing applications all over the place but I ain’t hear from nobody at all,” she said.
She said the money from Welfare was spent mainly on food for the children and to send them to school. “I don’t know how I will be able to send them to school now,” she cried.
Several telephone calls were made to the Chief Welfare Officer but up to the time of printing we were not able to speak to her about this matter.
mariabradshaw@nationnews.com
