ROBERT Allen is at the end of his tether, and he fears his wife is close to a breakdown.
The couple, who both work, have just 30p until pay day - three days away - to feed their family.
There is nothing in the cupboards for their two girls, aged 12 and 13, to eat and no milk or nappies for their one-year-old son. They don't even have any toilet paper. Robert, a part time factory worker earns £170 per week. He works nights to save on childcare. His wife earns less than £300 as a fleet manager.
Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis is putting forward a Private Members' Bill in Parliament calling for a rise in the minimum wage.
Dan said: "This can't be right. If you work hard you should be able to bring up your family with dignity without relying on the taxpayer to make up the difference.
"That is why I am bringing forward a Private Members' Bill in Parliament today which seeks to raise the value and restore the ambition of the National Minimum Wage. The scandal of low pay must be tackled."
** The full story appears in the Barnsley Chronicle, dated November 28. **
