I’m on universal credit & have to choose between food or heating – Kirstie Allsopp’s home-buying advice is out of touch
A FAMILY who are on Universal Credit and are forced to choose between food or heating have slammed Kirstie Allsopp’s comments on house buying. Stepdad-of-three Harry Lay, 36, said the TV presenter’s remarks that everyone can buy a home are “unsympathetic” as he’s one of thousands of Brits forced to rely on foodbanks. Kirstie’s “out […]
A FAMILY who are on Universal Credit and are forced to choose between food or heating have slammed Kirstie Allsopp’s comments on house buying.
Stepdad-of-three Harry Lay, 36, said the TV presenter’s remarks that everyone can buy a home are “unsympathetic” as he’s one of thousands of Brits forced to rely on foodbanks.
Kirstie’s “out of touch” advice to youngsters included that they should stop spending money on Netflix, gyms and coffee in order to own a home.
Harry, a former soldier and now full-time cleaner, lives in social housing and the family receives universal credit – and has slammed the presenter for her remarks.
Along with his wife Kittie, 36, a part-time hairdresser, they face having to choose between food and heating.
Harry and Kittie moved into their housing association property in mid-2020 with their three children aged five, eight and 11.
Harry, from Cricklade, Wiltshire, said Allsopp “doesn’t realize how lucky she is.”
He said: ”Essentially I think at a time like this when vulnerable families are struggling to make ends meat, to feed their children and heat their homes she chose really poor timing on this.
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“Does she really think people aren’t trying?
“We have families that are living in terrible conditions, having to make sacrifices like heat or eat, elderly people that can’t afford to put the heating on that have worked all their lives.
“I find her comments unsympathetic and for those that already feel guilty that they can’t provide for families this really is the icing on the cake.
“I don’t think she realises how lucky she is.”
Kirstie Allsopp claimed that young people should move in with their parents or “find homes up north” in cheaper areas if they are struggling to afford their lifestyles while saving for a house.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Kirstie said she bought her first property at the age of 21 in 1993 with the help of her parents.
At the time, the average house price in the UK was around £51,000, which equates to £112,000 in today’s prices – that number still less than half of the actual average of today’s house prices which is £255,556 .
The Location, Location, Location presenter said she feels “enraged” when she hears young people complain that they can’t afford to buy a house these days.
‘UNSYMPATHETIC’
“When I bought my first property, going abroad, the EasyJet, coffee, gym, Netflix lifestyle didn’t exist,” she said. “I used to walk to work with a sandwich. And on payday I’d go for a pizza, and to a movie, and buy a lipstick.”
Although Kirstie acknowledged that interest rates were much lower today, she insisted that young first-time buyers need to make “sacrifices” to get on the ladder and suggested moving further out.
She added: “I’m up in Nottingham right now and there’s a nice three-bedroom home with a long garden on for £320,000. I get enraged when people say they can’t afford to buy. They can.
“But they have to move, which is hard if you don’t have roots there. I know there are many who can’t afford to buy, but others are not willing to make the sacrifices.”
This comes after Piers Morgan has hit out at Allsopp after she made “unbelievably stupid” comments about property buying among young people.
The 56-year-old didn’t hold back as he blasted Kirstie, 50, on Twitter branding her “woefully privileged” after she suggested that those looking to get onto the property ladder should give up Netflix and gym memberships.
The former GMB presenter penned: “Every time Kirstie Allsopp trends, I check why and see she’s said another unbelievably stupid, ludicrously ill-informed and woefully privileged thing.
“Then I wait for her to respond to the entirely justified outrage by throwing her toys out of the pram & quitting Twitter again.”
