To find this universal credit situation unfair

She'll either be lying to you about one aspect, or claims DLA for one of the kids and says she's a carer for one of them.
If there's no lying going on, then one day soon the DWP will notice their mistake and she'll have a gigantic overpayment bill and believe me, they don't mess around when it comes to getting it back when they've overpaid

I get your point op

Its not "fair" that benefits increase when you have a second child but a working parent doesnt automatically get a pay rise.

@EnglishBluebell which is why I'm mystified by a single mum I know ( and I do like her) who has a 7 year old and an 11 year old- does 6 hours a week and gets virtually full UC ( on top of which she gets almost £800 a month maintenance ) and she quite openly says she's not hassled by DWP and has no intention of working more as she gets by nicely (luckily has a very nice HA flat just under the level local allowance )

I don't get why some are treated harshly and hassled with say a 3 year old and others seem to sail on claiming for years. She doesn't have any disability either

well - when the new way of doing CB came in, you could receive it if two earned under £50k but not if one over did….

DH earnt more than me and more than that BUT combined income was same as two earning just below the threshold. - with less take home due to tax brackets.

SIL and BIL got it, we didn’t. No it isn’t always fair but neither is life and you have to let it go or put your career in hold for the duration of early years childcare, or find another childcare option - there isn’t just nursery.

There are millions of families in different situations with different variables in this country. Focusing on one household compared to yours isn’t going to do you any favours.

It's been well over a decade since the days of being able to "sit on benefits" ie: being able to actively choose not to work. That was stopped a long time ago (hear that, channel 5? Daily mail?) and those claiming the unemployment version of UC have to do a LOT of work related activities, training courses, to prove they are not just looking for work but going for interviews and if they get offered a job but don't take it, their UC is stopped.
Single mothers have to do a year of work related activities once their child turns 2 and once they're 3, they have to be in work or again, UC is stopped. They can work part time and have their income topped up but as I touched upon earlier, it is ensured by the DWP that this does not equal out to be financially better than working full time at minimum wage. Always

@Rosscameasdoody Yep! Rishi is gleefully rubbing his hands together as we type

I can assure you, as someone who knows all the different rates and limitations. Earning limits and comparisons between claiming as a couple & single parent, claiming as a disabled person who also gets PIP and/or claiming as a parent to a disabled child receiving DLA and the UC top up you get for having a child receiving DLA etc and even with the highest paying combination, it still doesn't equate to what two adults working full time on minimum wage, would bring in.
No luxurious lifestyle I promise you.

Can’t you? According to you it’s a lifestyle choice. People like you are always moaning that people do exactly that - say fuck it, give up work and expect UC to pay. So why don’t you do it too?

Which is it? You can’t have it both ways.

I am with you on this tbh. My sister in law is housing association and has two kids. They constantly borrow money from our in-laws as they spend it on ridiculous things. They are thinking about having a third child despite being on 30k combined income. We can’t even imagine being able to afford a second child as spend a fortune on childcare.

But I should add this is more a problem with two individuals and probably not representative of everyone claiming. We just have very different attitudes.

Thank you @Greenbathroom, this issue just seems to be being completely ignored and it's really worrying all round.

Yes absolutely.

Some people get butt mad at people on benefits.

They assume there's 'Millions that have never worked' or that "I pay thousands in tax to find them doing nothing" or "they just have kids so they don't have to work" yadda Yadda yadda.

Anyone Butt mad about benefit claimants,
If you work and you pay taxes, very little a year of your tax actually goes to the poorest of society.

There's not millions that have never worked.
There's a benefit cap to stop people claiming more than a set amount.
There's a cap on how many kids they can claim for.
There's 'bedroom tax' to contend with.
Childcare is paid to 85% of total bill Nd it's paid in arrears.

There's so many myths pushed by idiots online.
MN itself is rife with ignorant Rage from people who don't know what they're talking about.

Don't fall for it

Depends on each individual situation

Many will yes be at risk of becoming homeless especially private renters.

If in social housing, everyone's situation is different. Some will be ok especially if in later years they get into reasonably well paid work, no longer need benefits, and manage to build up savings and a private pension. Others will be struggling in older age poverty. Poverty is particularly hard when you're old and often in failing health.

People who had mortgages will usually by the same age own outright and be free of the extra expense of monthly rent or mortgage payments. They'll also have equity in their home if they need to free up cash.

There's been some studies about these issues and it's a looming (and too often ignored) crisis coming in the future. Particularly due to the increase in longterm and older aged private renters, and the increased state pension age.

At least more posters are speaking out against them now.

Wonder where @happypickle is? I really want to know why she posted this thread so soon after the last one she started.

Rishi’s plan is working isn’t it ? Divide and rule is alive and well, and living on MN !!

No, not really !!

This.
You are building assets and your in laws aren’t.

Different choices which are also available to you.

I can assure you they are not "getting a fortune" on UC. A couple with one child (even if the child and each parent have disabilities) will not get what anybody would consider anything like a fortune ffs. Even if he is also working or even if he's not, they still will not be getting the equivalent of two adults working full time at minimum wage. I know all of the UC rates and earning limits. They're not getting a fortune.

What is with all the benefits-bashing threads lately?

A fortune in benefits, really?

I work full time and can barely afford my rent and it's not even that much considering what it's like for other people. I really don't know how renters are coping. Also UC has a cap for the rent, for me it would be £503 a month, my rent is £700 and that's low compared to others round here, it doesn't matter if my rent was £1000 I'd still get £503 towards rent, the rest comes out of the whole allowance you're awarded.

I hear you OP however concentrate on your family, career and home. You will be in a better place in a few years. The security of your own home is so important long term.

That said, all those saying 'you'll have a home, mortgage paid off' . What will the masses of people currently getting their rent paid do? Surely many of them will not have increased their income sufficiently to replace all the benefits they get with having children? Will they continue to get their rent paid or will they be homeless? Will they just move to other benefits and still get their rent paid and if they are in social housing be able to hand their fully paid for by taxpayers to their children?

I am genuinely interested in what is going to happen as all these renters - private and social housing lose the benefits they get for having children!

Yay, I'm living the high life on the poverty line. I have no job. I'm a SAHM. I spend all my time meeting other people's needs. All my qualifications and training are now irrelevant. I have totally de-skilled. I have no private pension. I'm practically unemployable. My mind is like mush. I have no self confidence. I miss people. I miss working. When my youngest does go to school and I get a job I won't actually earn anything because UC will deduct 60p from every £1 I earn off the UC. So I'll be working but still living in poverty but hopefully my MH and confidence will improve. That's if I can juggle everything. But on the plus side at least people won't be judging me for being on benefits. I'm sure they'll judge for something else instead.

Although I have DC, and also think it's important to support all children (as regardless of what any of us think of their parents life choices or circumstances, which are often unplanned) it's not the child's fault. However I don't think it's right that childless and childfree people should be financially worse off and facing extra hardship.

Also, and I'm not sure how to express this without coming across badly but perhaps sometimes more generous benefits when there's DC (rather than a fairer more equal system) possibly encourages the problem OP feels resentful of. It might perhaps encourage a (minority) of people who possibly choose to have DC as a 'lifestyle'. Although who can blame them when no DC potentially means even worse financial struggle and insecurity? Statistics show that single childless people especially those on benefits are the most financially disadvantaged group in society.

If single people are unfairly penalised, I don't know but it might seem appealing perhaps to have DC especially if their job is low paid and they have few opportunities for better work, or if they're out of work (not necessarily by choice) and on benefits.

I'm not suggesting people with DC should be penalised, definitely not, and we shouldn't want a race to the bottom anyway, but instead the system should be fairer and more equal. Childless/Childfree people should have enough to live on too. Especially as it's not always a choice (a friend and her DH, who are financially ok in case it's relevant, are currently going through fertility treatment and really struggling emotionally with not having DC).

The system is ineffective. Those who really need it, cannot understand it, cannot battle with it, it is not enough to meet their needs. Those who play the system, boast about it, have extra income, have nice houses for "free".

It's the system that's broken. On the surface it seems unfair, but that's because the second type of people are the one who get heard more.

Plus, I'd rather be secure in having my mortgage paid off and knowing I have retirement and a pension to look forward to. Benefits will end - but again, it's because of the second type of people, not the first.