AIBU to be angry about the benefits system

If you don't need it, it's annoying that you're entitled to it. I absolutely need it. I have 2 school age DC, work part-time on minimum wage bc that's all that's available and DH recently died. I absolutely need the money.

Yes, I helped a couple today who have been missing out on £600 of Universal credit a month just because they never thought to claim. that is with one of the couple disabled and unable to work. I think they thought that because the disabled one got £700 a month of PIP they just couldn't claim anything else. the healthy one of the couple was working two jobs , all hours and caring for disabled one not realizing they could claim. It makes me sad. i wish more people in this situation would check. Lots of people just don't understand how things work. There is a lot of help available through means tested and non means tested benefits, especially if disabled or too ill to work.

The government save far far more in unclaimed benefits than it loses by people claiming when they shouldn’t. Which is why o don’t get overly incensed by ‘scroungers’ 🙄 the way many people do.

People seriously are going to claim something if they can though aren't they ?I work in a job helping elderly people to claim benefits. Many literally have 100k in the bank and still want to claim Attendance allowance which is non means tested because they can. Many don't need it and don't even spend it on what it's intended for but still carry on just getting £110 a week extra money that they don't need. Often both of a couple claim it so £220 a week extra and in my experience it's pretty easy to get with a couple of health issues on your GP record !

What I find unreasonable, and the main reason this country is in the state it's in, is the overuse of the word "entitled". Used in the same post as the statement "4000 monthly", it's even more unreasonable. What you're clearly saying is that, because someone else at nursery gets a benefit, you feel you ought to as well, regardless of need. Meanwhile, there are people with real needs not being met. Grrrr....

Holy crap, I wish I had 4k per month, or even half of that to live on each month!!!

It's your own fault you have missed out. It's been well known widely that working families can claim and better to apply and be refused than not apply at all

Have you looked at whether you can claim universal credit yourself ? highly likely you would be eligible unless of course you have savings or capital over 16k.

Includes child benefit.

If you don't need it then that's greed not need!!!!

I don’t know we’re you have read that you would get nothing at all when my partner who gets paid twice once a year which is 3.000 odd because it’s two payments and we get nil once a year in uc I can’t see you getting a thing tbh I don’t think you should ether wanting benefits when you get 4k is insane lol

Hmm, I'm not sure this is right.

The calculators aren't accurate. Much better to do this manually.

Also, if you don't need the mortgage support, don't use it, as the repayment terms are awful.

I'm a single parent and my net income is 2.5k. I only JUST scrape UC entitlement and that is with two children, one is disabled so I get a disabled child element and a carer element. I work full time so there's also wrap around childcare. Once all elements (me, two children, disabled child, carer, childcare) are added together and then income deduction is made, I get under £200. So I really doubt your calculation.

I've probably seen too many benefits bashing type posts in different places, and the sceptical side of me felt like this wasn't true and was just being said to illustrate the benefits system is wrong.

UC is notoriously stringent and I don't know many couples who get any, even those with more than 2 kids.

You don't have to claim of course. But if you want to, it is there for a reason. Also, while I appreciate people have much lower household incomes, 4k really isn't a lot. Once you take off mortgage, utilities, travel and car costs, food, childcare, any credit payments, there isn't usually much left.

Not unreasonable to feel miffed. About 25 years ago, as a single parent of three under-12s, I was amazed to learn that my high-earning niece, also a single parent of three, was getting a decent amount in tax credits. I applied and was awarded them too, and it made a huge difference over the years. I had no idea that a working home-owner could get anything more than child benefit.

It's a great benefit for those with children/need. But if you are sick like my husband and cannot work you are not entitled to anything as he doesn't meet the 'criteria'. Appreciate that's another post but the benefit system is so unfair.

So you are pleased that people with kids end up much worse-off financially than those without?

Financial penalties on those with children are significant and widespread:

The impact on the career of the main child-carer, not being able to climb the ladder because of the additional responsibilities at home, breaks in earnings leading to lower pension, having to buy bigger cars and more fuel, more food, clothes and higher household bills. Oh and bigger houses whether rented or bought and they need heating either way. Plus of course, holidays needing to be taken in the high season.

It simply does not stop - never mind nursery childcare bills and work days lost to caring for sick children.

People who choose to be child free have it much easier financially. Of course not everyone wants to have children - and, environmentally it is probably better that people don't.

However, in my view it's quite right that state benefits help close the wealth gap, even if it's just a drop in the ocean, as it is children - raised at great cost to the parents - who will be the nurses and doctors when you are old. And they will be paying for pensions and health care for the generation before them.

My children are adults now and we didn't get any help with child care fees. But I do not in any way begrudge it to the parents of today, especially with the cost of living rocketing.

I didn’t know about tax free childcare so lost out on 4k over 2 years. Very annoying and feel your pain

Well it’s down to you to check, you should be annoyed with yourself. I’m amazed you are able to get this though as I am a single parent, I earn 19k a year and I get 85% of my childcare costs plus about £200 extra. All in all it covers all of my child care cost, thank god as I wouldn’t be able to afford it otherwise. So I am extremely grateful for our benefits system. If you earn 4k a month it’s seems odd you would get the same help as me, I would advise re-checking.

I don't have housing costs, so that is probably why.

It was never going to hurt to apply. You would have either had a yes or no. You chose not to just because you thought you wouldn’t be entitled. UC actually benefits workers.

It isn't 85% it's up to 85%!

Do you really think that someone with a combined income like yours is going to get the same as a single parent on minimum wage?

This is a bizarre post.

Tbh, even being a carer doesn't necessarily cut it.

My friend is still on legacy benefits (ESA, carer's allowance and, until very recently, tax credits). Her son was on DLA and has just been awarded PIP (E/DLC + std mobility), and gets UC with the limited capability for work-related activity element.

Friend is only in the work-related activity group for ESA, and gets summoned to the job centre at least 4 times a year, where they try and make her go on courses to get "work-ready". No amount of pointing out to them that she is the full-time carer for her disabled son seems to sink in.

My DIL is single parent to an 8YO and was working 32 hours pw at a bit over NMW as a TA in term time. The way the work coach averaged it out, they made it less than NMW x 30 hours pw over a full year and were hassling her to work more hours. The school were really supportive, and she's now doing some hours as an HLTA and the majority of her hours as an ELSA. That brings her average earnings up to over 30 x NMW whichever way you calculate it, so they leave her alone now.

Angry with whom? Yourself? If you like.

It's no one's responsibility but yours I'm afraid.

............."For context, we bring in just shy off £4,000 a month. I thought this was a very reasonable income and we would be entitled to nil."

£4,000 a month???

My husband and I worked all our lives until I had a serious accident 3 years ago, and he became ill 2 years ago. I get the lower rate of PIP, he gets ESA.
Total = less than £800 a month for the 2 of us - luckily, the house is paid for, but neither of us is eligible for a state pension for another year, and we can't get any help at all because he gets a private pension of £880 per QUARTER

£200 a month is quite a big difference there. Is that just UC or CB as well?