What is your household income, how much is benefits, and how are you coping?

Youvd nif understood what I’ve written.

Im talking about disability benefits - not UC.

And I think it’s time disability benefits were means tested

A means test wouod include work capability, just like work capability is assessed with means tested UC. So no, this would not encourage peopke to lower their working hours so they could continue to claim, SNY more than means testing UC does - it’s a common urban legend tgat those on UC simply lower their hours so they can continue to claim - the system does not allow for people to do that.

You don't seem to have understood my example.

You know households can be in receipt of disability benefits and not UC, right? That's us. That's who I'm talking about. There is no hours requirement for my child's middle rate care DLA. And a maximum income threshold for claiming carers allowance that currently it doesn't make financial sense for us to bother with. I'd get it if I dropped my hours enough but as it would make us worse off, I don't.

Those of us with disabled DC who don't qualify for UC will likely have higher incomes as a cohort than those with disabled DC who do, notwithstanding that the thresholds are complicated and depend on circumstances. We're therefore the ones most likely to be affected first by means testing for disability benefits as the pp advocated for.

You understand that means testing includes people are working the amount of hours theyre assessed as being abod to wirk, rught?

This thread seems to have many peopld who do not understand whay jeans testing actuallly means. This happens on Universal Credit too. One cang jyst ‘drop’ ones hours that theyre capable of working just because they want to claim more benefits.

That’s not how it works - at all. Part of the ‘means testing’ is work capability assessment.

And I’m a single parent of children with disabilities.

Income combined is about £65k a year.
We get basic child benefits, but nothing else (not entitled) and don’t pay childcare as we have organised our lives to be able to be at home with them when needed.
Mortgage is around £850 pcm. Bills etc are about £200 pcm, all groceries and food for guinea pigs is £400 pcm.
We do have a car each, mine is a £5k workhorse and my husband has a cheap £500 banger that is rusty, but it passed the MOT this year and that’s all we need it to do. My oldest coaches rugby, so we get money off the fees for the littlest.
My parents pay for swimming lessons for them, and my Dad is a leader at scouts, so we don’t pay membership for one to attend, just the other.
Theatre class is expensive on Saturdays, but my grandparents pay for that and I work extra hours to afford our memberships to a club that me and DH do together. (£200 per year)
our biggest expense is our summer holiday that is £2K for two weeks in wales, but I just take extra clients for a month leading up to payment time to cover the costs. It does mean my husband has to do more of the childcare, but it means we have a little bit extra put aside. I cannot do the extra hours all the time (as that would be working from 9:30am to 8-9pm 6 days a week and I would be physically exhausted and have even more medical issues than I currently have) but I can push it a little during the summer months.

Yes, getting people to drop their hours and income to continue qualifying is an amazing plan.

This is exactly what we'd do if anywhere close to threshold btw. Our combined earnings are about 80k, so we'd probably be who you're talking about. I could get carers allowance as DC is on middle rate DLA, but don't, since I can maintain my part time job without too much issue and it makes financial sense. That could easily change.

I don't think a government would manage to get it through it would be so unpopular is what I mean.

A melt down?

How? If a person hits retirement age and they already have enough via savings, assets and workplace/private pensions, why should they receive the state pension on top of that? And the same gif disability benefits - if you havd the means to meet your needs of your disability why should you get benefits on top?

500 mortgage
500 bills including broadband TV, water. Elec etc etc, home, life ins
400-500 food

Essentials to make sure we have a home, energy, and TV broadband.

After that is all covered, the left overs would deal with the rest.
I don't see the point in adding in what you spend on holidays or whatever in that figure, it muddies the waters and makes people who are spending on 'less important' stuff act like they are owed something or somehow they are badly off...

Of course we keep a tab on the other spending and know largely where every penny goes.
Its about framing, appreciating what you do have rather than focus on what you don't...
Obviously I'm aiming this at the OP, not the people literally who struggle to pay the rent , feed the kids, but even then i'd have to question what they do with the money they get, so if you can't feed your kids breakfast before school but you have the latest fashion dog your feeding and Sky TV, you need your head wobbling.
But that is another story....

I understand the urge but means testing the state pension would cause a complete meltdown. I've never had any benefits at all and support my household entirely on my extremely heavily taxed wages. If they also withdrew state pension entitlement from me I'd be so furious.

It is time the disability benefits and state pension were means tested.

That poster has 4 children 3 of whom are disabled.

Absolutely disgusting

It’s a disgrace isn’t it.

Now you know where your hard earned tax money goes.....

Combined income between 82-90 dependent on overtime. Child benefit £170 a month take home £5600 + depending on overtime

Household bills £1600per month

Company car for one - fuel costs £60pm

Owned car for another - costs of £140pm

No childcare

Food approx £600

We manage to save and have holidays etc

How does a household of 72k qualify for UC?? This is madness

My husband gets 72k
UC of around 600 a month depending on his wages
Dla 414 a month
Carers allowance 83 a week
So around 5 to 6k a month in total

How are your essentials only 1500? Our mortgage is that alone and then £350 council tax a month, £200 gas/ electric, £100 bus pass for 2 kids for school and £270 train fayre for the other for college, £200 for DH to commute, £600 food and that’s trying to be careful, then petrol and water rates and insurance of top of that.
We also earn 5k per month!

im impressed your essentials only find to £1500.

Where I live in the midlands a small 3 bedroom house to rent is around £1100. Essential household bills are aroubd £500 and that’s without any broadband. I’m left with 200 for food, car/petrol (I have to have a car gof work) and everything else (and I work full time)

Just another way his it shows that thise having to rent often havd no choice but to claim benefits - I earn above minimum wage but still cannot afford even yhd basics

This thread highlights the problem with how people work this out, for example a kid working in McDonalds living rent free at home could say they have 1400 disposable cash, and someone paying a mortgage, kids cars etc could say they only have 400 disposable.
Also explains why so many think they are owed benefits or foodbanks, they can't see that spending money gets you stuff which means you have less money left.

Its about being intelligent around money and where it goes, for example if you are paying for a mortgage the bigger picture is that is a good use of money so should not be looked on as a hardship...

The easiest way to work it out is minus any stuff that literally HAS to be paid.
so for us, DH earning less as he looks after getting kids to and from school but jointly its about 60k after taxes pensions.

mortgage essential bills (including virgin media as it is essential in a way) and food is 1500
3500 left in the month, that doesn't mean we have 3500 left at the end of the month, it simply means once vital stuff is paid for to keep a roof over heads and food in belly, we spend it on life....

If we decided to spend that 3500 on a holiday, we could hardly expect to moan to someone that we had nothing left at the end of the month could we??
Which is always how people frame it!

Trust me that 3500 goes on a lot of things, savings, kids activities etc etc.... i could never see that as a thing to moan about and plead poverty....
Sorry to sound so abrupt but its a bit rage inducing when people don't separate the essentials.

Imagine if you will, winning 1 million pounds... then telling people you are skint and have nothing left after you purchased a 750,000 pound house outright, two flash cars for 50k each and put 100k in a trust fund and had 50ks worth of gadgets furniture for your house.....

I hope some get my point....

I could live in a tent in the forest with my kids and be loaded....... but really?
Just make it make sense...

Ah. That’s thought. Sorry about the dv 💐💐💐

if they don’t pay it can be taken out of their pay directly. Costs them a little more and you get a little less

Thanks I did put a claim in but they didn’t pay. Also i left due to dv so decided not to pursue to keep them out of my life.

Why don’t you get anything @Sheldonsheherfrom ex

i did a cms claim and as ex on benifits I will get think £28 a month for one child - wrong but better then nothing

How is a couple on 90 grand a year eligible for child benefit but a parent on their own is not earning way than that? Housing costs and bills aren’t that much less for a parent living on their own. Plus it’s harder to get childcare if there is only one of you to do it. That can’t be right surely?!!

what an old-fashioned way of thinking. You’re not living in the real world 😂