Fed up of my cousins comments about benefits and UC

And so we should.

Okay so you have included a wage increase in the second set of figures, so it’s not strictly representative. But the 18 hours of work plus UC have topped you up to a full time wage of £29k equivalent

i started my own business and work really hard at it and it’s doing well. Much prefer PAYE as you never actually have the money in your hands. Having earned money then having to hand over literally thousands and thousands over to HMRC is pretty galling. Of course it’s right to pay tax I accept that but do feel quite rinsed at the moment.

OPs cousin has mentioned it several time now. So now it's a case of repeating herself.

OP just distance yourself. Your cousin is referring to you also! She is bad mannered.

She doesn’t pay that much in tax so she can get off her high horse. I pay around £1200 a month in tax and NI 😢 😢

Oh, the UK is WAY beyond that. I had an American friend tell me it was a socialist country 20 years ago, and I couldn't see it. The UK has slid far far far further left since then. It's pre communist now. I know the usual suspects will shriek and froth at this, but it's just true.

Not sure capitalism’s exactly working out for the best either, personally. Or not for those who aren’t wealthy, at any rate.

So yeah, back to the original question. What do you mean tackle it? She's allowed her opinion, it's pretty widespread and mainstream, but even if it wasn't, she's allowed to say and think things you don't agree with. So by tackling it, the only thing you could mean is disagree with her presenting your own case, or ask her not to talk about it, or no longer hang out with her.

That's about it, I think, for options.

And pensions. We can triple lock the crap out of those for all eternity apparently.

Thank you exactly the point I’m trying to make nobody is better off on benefits. It is still and always will be something provided to the lesser fortunate people in society

Sorry I should have mentioned that my increase in hours came with a higher salaried job but that just demonstrates it is worth it.

Yep

On 22.5 hours in October 2022:
Take home £1526
UC £517 (including £148 of childcare costs)
Total £2043

On 30 hours in July 2025:
Take home £2230
UC £340 (including £190 of childcare costs)
Total £2570

For full transparency, I’ll mention that these were “average” months, because my childcare costs change every month.

@MugsyBalonz to be honest if someone’s getting decent maintenance on top of that £2300 , they probably can’t be arsed to work full time and deal with hassles ref childcare - it’s in my opinion made it that many single parents getting maintenance don’t actually want full time work because they can get by ok as it is- I’m not saying it’s right, personally I don’t agree with maintenance not being counted in , but I think it’s contributed

On UC and childcare costs?

The system is set up so that people are significantly better off working more hours.

A single parent of two children working 18hrs p/wk at NMW would have approximately £2300 per month from wages and Universal Credit combined.

Same person working 37hrs p/wk at NMW would have approximately £3300 per month from wages and Universal Credit combined.

The system is categorically not topping people up to a full time wage and increased employment is more lucrative - roughly £1000 a month more for working full time in the calculations I did.

As stated in my previous posts, there are barriers preventing people from simply upping their hours. These include (but are not limited to) a lack of affordable and accessible childcare provision, a lack of transport availability, a lack of skills/training opportunities that would enable access to higher paid roles, caring responsibilities, health considerations, lack of suitable full time job roles.

Very, very few people are working part time for shits and giggles.

(Figures calculated using Turn2Us. Single parent of two earning NMW with rent of £750 pcm and Band A council tax, childcare costs of £23 per working day for school wraparound).

It really doesn’t, I’m considerably better off working 30 hours a week than I was working 22.5 hours.

There are some right misery gutses on here! Imagine being fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work in a well paid job, but instead of appreciating what you've got, you moan about the small percentage you are expected to contribute to keep society (barely) functioning and keep the wolf from the door, for others and for your future self if things go wrong!

Those who say they "have to" work while others don't, of course that's not true. You choose to work in order to have more money, which you can do because you are in the good position of being able to find a job that is still profitable after paying for childcare. That's something to be grateful for, to have that choice when many don't! And I say this as someone who has the privilege of a good education and a profitable trade, so I'm able to work and make it pay, and I'm bloody grateful not to be in a position to need UC or other benefits.

I think of you apply critical thinking, you would understand that the system incentivises people to work the minimum. And that’s why so many people do work the minimum. Because they take a decision that after you pay transport and childcare etc etc, that it’s not work it when you look at how much you can be topped up to without it.

I used to volunteer in this sector, and it really surprised me. But offer a benefits system like this, and of course people are going to take advantage of it and try to make it work for them

And nothing.

I know not all breakfast and afterschool clubs are free. Why on earth should they be free. If you use them pay for them
And no I am not bemoaning the the fall in the birth rate

In addition, there are currently around 1.6 million unemployed people in the UK and around 750,000 job vacancies. It's not as easy as "get another job" or "get more hours".

You don't get topped-up to a full time wage, if you factor in earnings then OP (and many more people) would be better off working full time as with a FT wage plus UC combined they'd have significantly more money each month. They're actually getting less overall income by working part time.

What does that tell you? Because it tells anyone with critical thinking skills that maybe it's not about the money, maybe it's the fact that there are other barriers to full time employment such as time, physical and/or mental health, access to appropriate childcare, safe/accessible transport, suitable vacancies, training opportunities/essential skills, and so on.

My first job was contracted for 17 hours.
That was all they offered. It was retail.
Retail traditionally seems to only ever offer part time even though many employees want to be full time.
Years later I was working in a similar job (but thankfully contracted more hours) and they employed two part timers.
They were both 4 hours a day 5 days a week (so 20 hours).
One was morning, one afternoon.
The morning one was desperate for full time work and frequently asked for more hours - but always told no so she went and got a second job for the afternoon.
The afternoon employee was a bit flakey and often phoned in sick. The morning one couldn't do overtime to cover her because she had the commitment to the second job.
I constantly used to think "why don't they just employ the decent one at FULL TIME".
Not everyone working part time actually wants to be part time.

This is what people are talking about though. 18 hours is barely half of full time hours !.