A big well done for working mum

Mar 23 2008 by Ken Oxley, Sunday Sun

OUR story last week about mum-of-seven Nicola Bertram — who came off the dole to become a welder even though her wage is less than the benefits she could claim — generated huge interest. Here are just some of the responses we had in our new readers’ forums at www.sundaysun.co.uk/forums

I WOULD just like to say how refreshing it was to read about Nicola Bertram.

Good luck to her and her family. She may be worse off, but what an inspiration to her own children.

She will gain great self respect from taking what is undoubtedly the hard road. No doubt her father would be very proud of her — CG FOSTER.

GOOD article on the single working mother, and good luck to her.

But are you trying to encourage people to go back to work or encourage them to stay on benefits?

In the main bit of the article, you seem to be getting across “stay on the dole and you’ll be better off” — DAZZA190574.

GOING by the story, the best option is staying on benefits. The only bit I did not understand was, why were the car costs not taken into account on the benefits column when totting up the differences? — ANN1.

Sunday Sun says . . . the point for Nicola was that, while she is earning less now, she is building a future for herself which will mean she will — hopefully — earn a much better salary in years to come.

Meanwhile, forum user CoughyJohnny posed an interesting question for readers about vigilante groups in North areas blighted by high crime rates.

He wrote . . . “Isn’t it time communities sorted out their own defence against antisocial behaviour and got organised?

“I’m not talking armed thugs, just weight of reasonably-minded numbers.”