To think saving on Universal Credit is extremely difficult?

Give it time. Sometimes that sort of person comes back with "..but I didn't mean people like you." Other times they don't come back because.(?)

Because facts are so horribly inconvenient! They dont feed into the "scrounger" narrative. I notice that the poster banging on about critical illness cover etc didnt respond when I pointed out that my son is disabled due to birth injury. Fingers in ears, eyes closed, lalalala......

I think the reason some people think disabled people shouldn't be allowed Netflix is why the government have to spend so much on initiatives aimed at educating against ableism. Another source of money the taxpayer is forking out for totally unnecessarily that we should all be pissed off about. We shouldn't have to be spending money on this kind of thing in 2026 but here we all are.

I think what people can and should do is budget long term not short term. If you budget by the month and allow your discretionary spending to be dictated by what is available on that increment, there will always be a crisis. Budgeting categories need to include expenses that occur infrequently.

in some ways, that is a semantics issue. Put a a bit towards appliances breaking down every month or put a bit into savings every month. The difference though is that one isn’t considered optional. You know an appliance is going to break. You know December is always more expensive. You know school uniforms will have to be purchased. So thinking about those annual expenses as monthly expenses does actually really help keep the budget on track.

Have you tried making shadow puppets? Much the same but free! Oh wait, except the light source. Are people on benefits allowed to buy torches? Anyone know?? Maybe use a candle. Actually, candles are quite luxurious and don't you dare get a scented one! Ffs, no just go back to staring at the blank wall.

Outside of pensioners, most benefit recipients are working. And working hard.

I try desperately to do this but my 4 kids always want fed or something. Inconvenient really. Especially when my husband is away bringing in his full-time substantially above minimum wage salary. But wait, that makes him a taxpayer AND a worker AND we get benefits. Oh no, but that doesn't fit the narrative! Deary me.

Also, I am utterly itching to reply to most of these (typically utter shite) comments on the 117th benefit bashing thread of the week but I cannot be bothered. They never listen to facts anyway.

That doesn't have a clear yes or no answer, it depends on what your household take home pay is. Same applies to free prescriptions, free eye-tests, and contribution towards new glasses (you just get a voucher, and if you have to get specialist frames or lenses you have to pay the difference)
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/hwhc-universal-credit

“Universal Credit doesn’t really leave much room for saving once basic living costs are covered.”

That’s because it’s meant to cover basic living costs and that is it. The government isn’t handing out tax payers money for people to save it..

I don’t think you are very good at economics.

https://www.gov.uk/get-help-savings-low-income

‘Straightforward risks’ ? You really have NO idea what you’re talking about. Try getting income protection after declaring major mental illness from any of the big providers and they’ll either straight up refuse to insure you for this or they’ll increase your premium so much that you won’t be able to afford it.

Then she doesn't understand her job because you're allowed 6k of savings before it impacts UC in any way. And even if we give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she had your best interests at heart, it would take a lot of £17s to add up to 6k!

I do believe what you're saying though. In my experience (assisting people to set up and manage UC claims is part of my job), the quality of coaches varies massively.

The vast majority of universal credit recipients are fully employed.

I typed exactly what she did, and this is same one who sanctioned me a while ago for being 45 mins late to an appointment when the bus service wasn't running due to snow.. so yeah I do pay attention to what she says, as cannot aford not to

But you can do that as you can have several thousand before it impacts. As a single parent with a serious health issue, I received in work benefits as I live in the south east and rent is extortionate. It was a big help to be able to work part time for a decade as I dealt with a very painful health issue and raised my children. After a major surgery and kids getting older, I went back full time, got promoted and been able to save. Finally buying in the summer (not in the south east, having to relocate).

Should I have had enough money on UC to save? Not beyond 6k or so no, it’s meant to top your income up for survival, and I do think in work benefits are quite generous. I could only save my deposit because I was no longer on UC, earning more and doing overtime (and a relative allowed me to live in their house rent free whilst they worked abroad). It does make it hard to save for a house deposit though, but if you’re able to save loads, you don’t really need benefits do you?

If your UC coach expects you to declare £17 of unspent income, she has badly misunderstood her job role or you've misunderstood what she's saying.

I've not read every post, but why has the Government introduced the new help to save scheme for those on UC if you aren't meant to be able to save whilst on UC?! And the bonus you get if you do manage to save isn't taken into account when they calculate your savings / income?! 🤔

I think the point you're making is reasonable. It was bound to attract some of the more unpleasant replies you've had unfortunately. You're not suggesting that people should be able to save significant amounts of money but that life would be less stressful if it were possible to build even a tiny buffer.

I think there are people on here who think that any money you have left in UC at the end of the month, should be paid back.
Bonkers.

from my universal credit journal! When I managed not to spend 17 one month, I was trying to save a ( rented) house moving deposit! They don't take money OFF you, but say it accumilates hence needs to be declared ( her words not mine)

How are you going to afford your holiday to Disneyland that all the entitled scroungers expect annually if you're wasting your money on fripperies like fridges?

But why can't you save some of the benefit money for a new fridge or whatever? The same as working people do when they need something?

Yoga mat? Far too extravagant 😆 🤣
Cardboard box 😆

Quite a responsibility for you.

Obviously if you're the person who studies "this country's economic state" (Chancellor? Governor of the BoE?) you'll be able to explain the context in which the UK's rate of disability is rising faster than that of comparable nations. I have my theories. But grant us the benefit of your expertise and tell us yours.