'It definitely helps': Birmingham’s Channel 4 Benefits Street residents react to Rachel Reeves’ budget

Residents of Channel 4's Benefits Street have reacted to Rachel Reeves' financial plan for Britain - with some praising the "welcome bonus" of extra money and others blasting it as "stupid".

Locals living along James Turner Street in Winson Green, Birmingham, shot to stardom following the controversial documentary which aired 11 years ago.

The programme - starring the likes of White Dee, Black Dee and Fungi - followed the lives of benefit claimants and it was reported 90 per cent of residents were on welfare.

Rachel Reeves' plan was this week branded "a Budget for Benefits Street” by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.

It included greater welfare spending and scrapping the two child benefit cap, which has been welcomed by many still residing on the street.

Divorced dad-of-four Ilyas Hussain, 49, said the extra cash will help his struggling ex-wife.

The market trader said: "It affects me, I've got four kids so it definitely helps.

"My wife has them at the moment as we've split, I get them at the weekend. But I know she has to work to be able to afford them.

"She's definitely happy with this. It comes into play in April, which is handy as they're all school ages.

"I think it's a great idea, it's quite hard at the moment for everyone. Any benefit will help us."

But Dorris Peynado, 100, who moved from Jamaica to Britain aged 17 to start a new life, said the street had "gone to the dogs" over the years and branded the cap removal "stupid".

She said: "I've got children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. The world is going mad with it. Spending thousands on kids like this.

"The street is no better. It's gone to the dogs. I'm the oldest resident, been here the longest, but it's horrible now."

One mum, who lives in the area but wished to remain anonymous, said the Budget benefited those not in work and could lead to people having more children.

She said: "Ultimately it only benefits those who have loads of kids. The only difference is now we have to pay for all of them.

"It just gives people an excuse. They don't even need to work, just have more kids. We work to fund them, they get to keep having them. How is that fair on us?"

Another local said: "There's families on our street who just keep popping them out. You can't stop them, these people just keep having more.

"It's going benefit them, not me. I have kids, I only claim for two, my partner works. I work part-time."

Avtar Matharu, 83, a former BT worker, who lives nearby, said: "I think that up to two is OK, but you'll have to think about both sides.

"When you've got five or six children, you've got to think whether the government can afford it.

"It's a lot, it could be too much pressure on the government. I can accept up to two or three, but higher is too much.

"I think three should be the cap, beyond three is greedy. People produce these children willy nilly, they can't afford them. I worked hard to look after my five children, they're doing well now.

"I worked very hard and have three degrees. People need to realise this when they have six or seven children.

"Our child allowance was £2. On Benefit Street' only civil servants used to live there. It was the best road in the area.

"People are getting greedy. I pay £4,000 income tax at the moment, I can pay £500 more. But who else can afford it? The country is on its knees now. People don't realise."