The couple – who have five kids between them – often find themselves struggling for money.
Recently, Gemma was left gutted when she received a £70 parking fine, before realising daughter Cerys needed new shoes.
Upon learning they would be £45, the pair fled the store without paying for the shoes, but her actions soon saw her arrested.
As their financial woes take centre stage on the ITV soap, a Coronation Street fan has conducted painstaking research into the couple’s finances to work out what they really earn, and what they would have left over once all their bills and outgoings are paid.
The X user – called Sharonimo – wrote: “So firstly I had to look up rental prices of 3 bed terraced houses in Salford. It appears the average lower end 3 bed terrace private rented house approx £1,500 per month.
“Now although Bernie Winter (Gemma’s Mum) is often in the house it is not clear whether she lives there full time (or with Dev?) so I have not included her income in the budget calculation nor for the Universal Credit calculation.”
The viewer then addressed the other element of the couple’s latest storyline, which sees them facing eviction from their house, which they rent off a private landlord.
While the property was a council house when the Battersby Browns lived there, it returned to private ownership in 2011.
They continued: “So what would the Council Tax band be for a 3 bed terraced house in Salford like the one I found on Rightmove a few posts above this? Well it appears they are all Council Tax Band A.”
They then moved on to the benefits the couple would receive and stated: “So what benefits would Chesney and Gemma be entitled to with 5 children? (exempt from two child rule due to multiple births of the quads).
“I ran this calc several times on Benefits Calculator but eventually landed on £2,905 pcm of which £405 is child benefit.”
The viewer based the calculation on Chesney working 25 hours a week at the kebab shop, and Gemma working 20 hours in the Rovers Return.
They added: “If they earn more (30 – 40 hours a week) their UC goes down, if they work less UC goes up. The combined income and UC ends up around the same approx £5,000 pcm.”
They then listed the couple’s outgoings, writing: “We know they have a car as Gemma received a parking penalty notice this week.
“I’ve estimated as best I can. Have not added anything for holidays or savings and in *theory* they would have approx £300 pcm available to put towards those things.”
Other Coronation Street fans were quick to comment on the level of detail the fan had gone into and praise their efforts, but one pointed out Chesney and Gemma could also be entitled to DLA because their son Aled is deaf.
One added: “Just love that you’ve spent the time to do this! I’ve wondered how anyone in their situation would really cope. It does bug me though that some of Gemma and Bernie’s clothes look costly ( just some of the individual style things) but I suppose charity shop?”
Another commented: “This is actually brilliant and I applaud the work gone into it. They can’t be that on their a**e if they’ve got 300 extra each month & Ches is always getting a free lunch from work.”
A third tweeted: “Love this…we’ve been saying all week what a load of c**p it is as they’d be on so many benefits.”
