The contentious nature of the American welfare system often sparks heated remarks from taxpayers who complain about having to support individuals who aren’t interested in working. In addition, the image of using food stamps to purchase non-essential items or expensive foods like steak still resonate with many people who have seen such circumstances take place at a supermarket.

The issue is even more volatile overseas, with the latest example coming from England. A French man named Arnold Malle Sube had moved to England four years ago in order to attend the University of Bedordshire, where he would study mental health nursing. Coming with him were his 33-year-old wife, Jeanne, and their eight children. When they arrived from France, they were housed in a hotel for close to four months, with the Luton Borough Council paying the daily rent of over $200.

Housing and child care benefits that cost British taxpayers more than $60,000 were included, along with child tax credits. The family eventually moved into a three-bedroom home. Since Sube is attending school and his wife busy raising their children, neither works, they depend on government assistance.

When the Luton local government offered the family the opportunity to move into a five-bedroom home, the offer was rejected. Sube and his family claimed that they specifically needed a six-bedroom home to accommodate the family and because of inaction in handling their case, they were being neglected. They also complained about having no dining room and having to share a single bathroom.