A south London woman has sparked a fierce online backlash over claims she and her family struggle to live on nearly £200,000 a year.
Nisha Sharma works in marketing for an IT firm and lives in a £700,000 Croydon house with her four-year-old daughter and husband Ashish.
Their combined income is approaching £200,000 but it was claimed in a Financial Times article on Britain's "squeezed middle" that the pair were struggling to get by. She later said her words had been misinterpreted.
She told the paper: “If you’re earning millions of pounds, then you’re ok - and at the other end of the spectrum you get everything paid for.
"We are caught in the middle where we are paying for everything.”
However, Mrs Sharma, 45, told the Standard today that her comments had been about private school fees, rising property prices and care home fees for her elderly parents.
She told the Standard: "We are grateful to have all four parents still alive, and their well-being is an absolute priority for us.
"We are very privileged and grateful for our high income.
She went on: "We are extremely grateful for our situation. We do not struggle to make ends meet as was suggested in the article and have great empathy for those that do face financial difficulties."
The initial comments were met with astonishment on social media with one person telling the family they needed a "reality check".
Dimple Vijaykumar tweeted a photo of a tiny violin while Michael Bell wrote: "A change of lifestyle will alleviate the struggle - simple - sell down and live more modestly.”
Another Twitter user suggested they should try shopping in Lidl and NW6Penguin wrote: "Er don't send the kids to private school, get a cheaper house."
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