After what she described as a humiliating phone call with Universal Credit, she nervously decided to share her experience on LinkedIn. Her raw account of her experiences has resonated with thousands of parents who recognise their own struggles in her story, generating 3,200+ reactions, 300+ comments and nearly 60 reposts in just six days.
The journey to breaking point
Jessica took redundancy in February 2024 after having her second child, citing the toll on her physical and mental health of having children close together. Despite knowing it would be financially challenging, she used the time to bond with her new baby whilst keeping her older child in nursery to retain their place.
"Even though we knew financially it would be hard, it gave me time with my new baby and my older child," she said. "That time was important, and I don't regret it — but things got tight much quicker than we expected," she said.
The cost of living pressures became overwhelming. "The cost of nappies, food, nursery, rent — at times it feels like even breathing costs money," she recollected.
She found temporary work at a local ice cream kiosk in an Ipswich park, which provided not just income but community connection. "I brought my dog along, the kids would play, people would stop and chat. It was genuinely magical," she said. "There's a strong community spirit in Ipswich and I really do feel lucky to be part of that."
But as she put it: "The hours weren't enough, but it gave me a bit of income and, more importantly, it gave me community." This led to her extensive job search that would reveal repeated questioning about her childcare arrangements.
The pattern of discrimination
After applying for more than 70 jobs, she found herself repeatedly asked the same question in interviews: "Will this job work around your childcare?" She describes how the tone would change the moment she mentioned having two young children.
"It's rarely 'Do these hours work for you?' — it's 'Will this job work around your childcare?'" she explained. "It's not a neutral question. It puts the burden back on you to prove you're not going to be a problem."
Out of her 70-plus applications, she received only five interviews. Even when offered employment, the financials just didn't stack up. One part-time role that was "technically full-time hours spread across the week" would have left her worse off financially after factoring in travel, childcare and parking costs – an issue that's all too common for parents looking to find part-time work.
The final straw
The final straw came during a phone call with Universal Credit about nursery fee support. When Jessica expressed her stress about the delayed payments, the agent's response caught her off-guard: "Your earnings are low, so why is your child in nursery? You should be looking after them at home. That is your job as a mother."
That's when she turned to LinkedIn.
"I drafted it, sent it to a friend, freaked out, almost deleted it, reread it about 50 times," Kenningale said. "I never post stuff like this publicly — LinkedIn is the only social media I even use — but something in me had had enough."
An unexpected response
The reaction to her post has been overwhelming. Parents from across the country have shared their own stories of discrimination, whilst recruiters have offered CV advice and job opportunities.
"The best part has been hearing from others who've been through the same thing," she said. "Mums, dads, all sorts of parents saying, 'This happened to me too.' It made me feel a lot less alone."
Friends joked that her post had gone viral, with mentions of potential coverage on television programmes including Loose Women and Good Morning Britain.
The wider reality
Kenningale's experience reflects broader challenges facing many working parents. "There's just not enough part-time or flexible work," she said. "So many jobs are advertised full-time only, or they say they're flexible but aren't really. Then when you try to make it work financially — with nursery fees, travel, low wages — it just doesn't add up."
Fighting for change
Kenningale has made a formal complaint about her Universal Credit experience and contacted her MP. She's also spoken to Citizens Advice, media outlets and support organisations.
But beyond her personal situation, she hopes her post will create lasting change in how parents are treated by employers and the benefits system.
"If I'm finding it this hard — someone who is articulate, confident, and persistent — then how are other parents managing?" she asked. "Single parents? People whose first language isn't English? People with disabilities, or on the fringes of society?"
Her post has resonated particularly strongly with other parents who recognise their own experiences in her story. The comments section of her post has become a forum for sharing similar encounters with workplace discrimination and benefits system failures.
The bottom line
Jessica's decision to share her story has opened up a much-needed conversation about how society, not just locally, but nationally, treats working parents, especially mothers. Her message to employers is simple: "Being a parent doesn't make me less employable. It makes me more capable. More motivated. More organised. I have to be. So stop treating it like a liability. Start seeing it for what it really is — a strength."
