To find this universal credit situation unfair

No it's not!

You can't just say fuck it and stop work for no reason and expect UC to pay your mortgage and bills. They won't.

I agree OP, it's not fair. No one on MN will ever concede that a lot of people have very cushy lives on benefits and it's a lifestyle choice for many.

@Crikeyalmighty ·

@happypickle unless either of them have disability or their child does- they really won't be 'raking it in'

I have 2 disabled children. I can assure you we are not well off and certainly not taking it in. what an awful thing to say about those on disability benefits!

Yes and so predictable.

OP you started a thread about the "unfairness" of UC less than two weeks ago. Why another thread?

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5067241-families-on-uc

Especially as that's two children, you only get about £70 a week for one child.

So that means one adult and child is actually on about £140 a week. And whatever rent they are entitled to which by the way doesn't often pay the full rent unless your in social housing.

Sorry but people don't get a "fortune" on universal credit. The only way you get a fortune is if there are multiple disabilities going on.
I'm on UC at the minute..
I get £70 a week for me and £130 a week for two children
The rent I got was £125 a week
That's £325 a week or 1300ish a month So jobs wise about 25 hours a week worth of money not a fortune. It's helpful of course but it isn't making us millions.

This is absolute bullshit I'm afraid. Mad in this day and age, when so many working people rely on UC to get by, that perceptions like this still exist.

@happypickle unless either of them have disability or their child does- they really won't be 'raking it in' - it probably seems like that because of getting money towards the rent - but that has to be paid out if they want to keep a home. They possibly do have more disposable, if you are paying nursery and a big mortgage- but that doesn't go on forever- I know it feels like it though - at some point she is going to have to look for work and be hassled if she doesn't.

Not sure if they have private renting or HA/council- but if it's private- it's very insecure (I know as we have it) and the more rents go up the less likely their allowable rent will cover off a large part of the rent.

I remember having a woman work for me who was obsessed about doing enough hours to get 'top ups' but not so many that god forbid she did more than 22 hours as she was 'no better off' - that's what's wrong with the system- she felt it was right to be able to work part time with a 12 year old and do no more and let everyone else fund her set up- no illnesses, perfectly healthy, really nice and cheap HA flat in a good area.

I'm social minded but yes there are plenty of people more than happy to take the piss whilst they can - and yet people who really are in difficulty with chronic illness and insecure housing have to jump through hoops it seems

Quit your job, sell your house, rent and deplete your savings so you can get more UC then 🤷‍♀️ Let me guess, you don't want to...

about how much are we talking?
if they are so disabled that they’re getting LCWRA then she can’t really meet the needs of a child by herself, does she have much support, does her partner work?
I suppose your situation is different because they will be renting whereas you are paying off a mortgage and will eventually own your property.

If you earn enough to pay the equivalent of two mortgages and will come out in possession of assets worth in excess of half a million pounds (probably, far, far more by the time your mortgage is paid off), whereas she's never earned enough to buy one flat and won't pass credit checks for one when she does go back to work for years, I'm failing to see exactly how she gets the better deal out of the two of you.

If you genuinely think your in-laws are in an enviable position, there is absolutely nothing to stop you selling your house, quitting your job and having another baby. So go and do that, then come back in a year and let us know how it's going.

Those who have never claimed any kind of benefit (UC, PIP, unemployment, whatever) have paid through various taxes, for those who do

FFS. As always, people 'on benefits' can also be in work. And plenty of people 'on benefits' today were in work yesterday. We have also paid our taxes, and continue paying our taxes, and receive whatever it is we're entitled to as well.

HTH. It won't. But it should.

Just sell your house and go on the dole. I'm sure you'll find your life will improve immediately and forever.

What are there incomings vs your incomings?

Surely if they’re better off with 1 person not working and you’re struggling to pay nursery fees, then the obvious solution would be for you or DH to become a SAHP (or potentially both go PT), then you’ll be in the same situation as them.

It sounds like they’ve chosen to have 1 stay as a SAHP to avoid paying the nursery fees.

If it makes such a big difference then why don’t you just do the same as them?

We need to question why working full time and paying for childcare is crippling so many families and removing the incentive to work. Higher wages - can easily start by giving public sector workers appropriate pay rises in line with their skills - and properly subsidised childcare for all would help this. If parents work full time then this ridiculous set up of covering term time school hours needs to change.

That can't be correct information. If your friend was on UC, she'd have been obliged to constantly apply for jobs. Otherwise you can't get UC.

For a start, a 2 year age gap is not ideal. You get 30 hours funding free from 3 if you're both working so just aim for a 3 year gap (and having done both a 2 and a 3 year gap, the 3 year gap is much better). Also, stop moaning it's not fair. Life isn't fair. There are pros and cons to both lifestyles. I'm now a lone, full time working mum of 3. I have a good job just still get UC top ups. But I also have the stress and pressure of lone parenting. Swings and roundabouts.

I just don’t understand how all you can see is that it ‘isn’t fair’ fair and are totally ignoring all the benefits in your situation for the long term as other have said:

Increase in potential earning power
Time with no rent or mortgage after mortgage paid off
Pension, potentially opportunity for early retirement
Potential to help your DC financially due to the above

I think it's unfair. A friend of mine had completely free childcare because she didn't feel like working and UC paid her so well (her words). I couldn't bring myself to be unemployed but the childcare cost being so ridiculously high while those not working (and therefore with no need for childcare) get it free seems backwards to me.

OP, YANBU - of course there should be more benefit to working, even in the short term. I don't think universal credit, for some, it's the pittance some may belive it to be.

Yes, it's unfair that the current Conservative government won't help families who have young children, or want to have a/nother child, and who have a mortgage. The government killed off the benefit that paid towards mortgage interest and replaced it with a loan instead, didn't it? Maybe it should reinstate mortgage benefits.

But it daren't do that because, you know, it'd have to apply to those pesky immigrants. And then we'd have posters claiming they live next door to a foreign family of nine who get their mortgage paid for them and go on five luxury holidays a year and eat only wagu beef and artichokes and wear Prada to drive to the shops in their spare Lexus.

They don't get a fortune. And if they did then why don't you try it? Is it because you've made a choice to have the lifestyle you currently have over having a second child?

I do not know all their or your circumstances. You sound jealous so I feel this is clouding your judgement.

Exactly