Family who are 'too fat to work'

A family of four with a combined weight of 83 stone say they are "too fat to work" and need more than the £22,000 they currently receive in benefits

Philip Chawner, 53, and his 57-year-old wife Audrey weigh 24st. Their daughter Emma, 19, weighs 17st, while her older sister Samantha, 21, weighs 18st.
The family from Blackburn claim £22,508 a year in benefits, equivalent to the take-home pay from a £30,000 salary.


The Chawners, haven't worked in 11 years, claim their weight is a hereditary condition and the money they receive is insufficient to live on.
Mr Chawner said: "What we get barely covers the bills and puts food on the table. It's not our fault we can't work. We deserve more."
The family claim to spend £50 a week on food and consume 3,000 calories each a day. The recommended maximum intake is 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men.
"We have cereal for breakfast, bacon butties for lunch and microwave pies with mashed potato or chips for dinner," Mrs Chawner told Closer magazine.
"All that healthy food, like fruit and veg, is too expensive. We're fat because it's in our genes. Our whole family is overweight," she added.
Each week, Mr and Mrs Chawner, who have been married for 23 years, receive £177 in income support and incapacity benefit. Mrs Chawner is paid an extra £330-a-month disability allowance for epilepsy and asthma, both a result of being overweight.
Mr Chawner gets £71 a month after developing Type 2 diabetes because of his size. He was on a waiting list for a gastric band last year, but a heart condition made the operation unsuitable. Their daughter Samantha receives £84 in Jobseekers' Allowance each fortnight while Emma, who is training to be a hairdresser, gets £58 every two weeks under a hardship fund for low-income students.
Emma, said: "I'm a student and don't have time to exercise" she said "We all want to lose weight to stop the abuse we get in the street, but we don't know how." (from the telegraph)

OMG how can this be allowed to happen....

being a bit overweight myself I can understand that they find it hard to work but using that as an excuse to NOT work is BS


I think that the parents need there Stomach's clipped and a bit of an exercise regime set up, the kids just need educating

I suspect its all an excuse not to work

they can't be eating very much if it only costs them £50 a week to feed a family of 4.

My thoughts entirely - but if they do I want to know the name of their 'shop' two packets of biscuits and 1 kg potatoes - in their dream a kg of pots serves about three in our house LOL

Never mind stomach clips - I think they have already had their brains clipped.......the attitude is terrible!!!

Stop their benefits,and let the fatties starve themselves thin. :)

I am overweight and have never had a problem with work and its manual work at that. This is just an excuse because they don't want to work , as has been said stop or cut down their benefits until they least go looking for a job .

HEHE One of them gets paid - because she is 'looking' for a job!!!!!
You couldn't make it up!!!!
They could earn their way by starring in Little Britain - they look like ideal candidates :x

First thought was "Get off the couch and do some exercise!!" I'm a little 'cuddly' but that's because I eat too much! My choice..... don't give the blarney that's because of 'genetics' ...... absolute rot IMO!!!!

[quote="karma"]HEHE One of them gets paid - because she is 'looking' for a job!!!!!
You couldn't make it up!!!!


OUR ILLUSTRIOUS STATES OF GUERNSEY DO AS WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

why didn't I know that???? I could have saved myself years of slog!!!!!!!

Emma, said: "I'm a student and don't have time to exercise"
there 24 hrs in a day which one of those hours cant the fat lazy biatch do some exercise?
i use to do 10 mins every morning when body building then an hour each night after work,u can do it if u want to,looks like she dont want to
body buildin went when i knackerd me knee up at work,i was 10 1/2 stone went to 9 1/2 all muscle,now im errm fat lol