To think saving on Universal Credit is extremely difficult?

Aaargh, I always think of myself as an absolute bleeding heart, but I agree with those saying it’s not supposed to be enough to save. It’s supposed to be a safety net to tide you over, not a long term solution or lifestyle, with room to put some aside.

I mean of course there are always choices - I’m not saying it should be the barest minimum that you can literally only afford to stave off starvation on. So perhaps there is or should be room to save if you avoid buying x or y that that week that most people would think of as a basic expense.

But in any real sense of building up a savings pot, I think that should be done when you’re in work, which for most people should be most of the time.

But my understanding is that if you are long term disabled or have very young children you’re getting a bit above the basic minimum amount. So not the same as the “just tide you over” amount.

Same. I also get shit on here for posting.

Well for a start if people were being paid a wage that they could actually live on, then the need for UC top ups would not be so common. The housing market, which has gotten completely out of control, with the price of buying homes, renting is a catastrophe. Corporations, and wealthy individuals being able to accountant their way out of not paying enough taxes, there is so much that is wrong. The money that people are making for their bosses, companies, corporations, is not enabling a large section of Society to live any other way, than just surviving.

Even if you were on minimum wage, 2.5 full time jobs would bring you in at least £3.6k per month after tax. How on earth did you not manage to save even a tiny bit while bringing that sort of money in? You must have bought a fancier house than you needed, or maybe overspent on cars?

Lots of people, myself included, work full time (not “just enough” 🙄) and receive UC. As it happens I am also able to put a bit into savings every month but this is because I live well within my means and have a house/car that I can afford. U

I don't pay for it. DM has a cleaning company and gets me anything cleaning related. But that means I save money, and that is bad apparently.

I will always stand up to ableists

And rightly so. I would never begrudge children who have just lost a parent to then lose their home probably have to leave the area all their family and friends are to a more affordable area. I don't want to live in a country that thinks thats an acceptable way to treat a grieving child

I get Costco own brand. It's amazing stuff! But of course I try to make sure I buy it from my teeny tiny earnings (I'm another disabled scrounger who can only work part time) and not out of the charitable donations of my betters. Otherwise how would I sleep at night?

I say this genuinely with kindness. I think you need some counselling. You sound as though as you are still in emotional pain.

Yet you’re on every one posting relentlessly aiding their reach

I know someone who lost a child to suicide. She is now claiming UC because the fallout of losing her DS was awful and her DH left her. She literally has to claim UC to live now.

You do realise that people like op aren't on benefits and are just starting another benefit bashing thread as we haven't had one for an hour. It might even be mumsnet as these threads get a lot of posts which = money

OP did not mention holidays.

My kitchen roll is Regina Blitz too. I guess that is too expensive for me to buy.
Sorry, but kitchen roll is not something I will go cheap on.

But now that poster doesn't require housing costs so will get less UC. They will have a secure roof in old age and the possibility of paying for at least some of their elderly care if they need it or their kids eventually getting a boost on the housing ladder. There is a much bigger picture than just person on tax credits got a mortgage. Maybe they used their pay from work for the mortgage.

If I had children I would have qualified for quite generous UC.

Do you think you would of been able to just pick up a 2nd job if you had children at the time who needed you more then ever.

I think the criticism to people on UC isn't towards genuinely cases of needs like you described its more directed at tone deaf people like OP who complain its not enough to go on holiday ....like.... yeah its not for luxuries.

Hope things get better for you one day <3

Kitchen roll? Benefits are clearly TOO GENEROUS!! Plenty of hardworking people work 190 hours a week and can only dream of being able to afford kitchen roll.

Ffs. I wish I’d stayed on tax credits instead of training for 3 years to get a professional job. Maybe I could have paid off my mortgage by now.

I picked up a second job, took in a lodger, sobbed in my bathroom into a pillow every night for 2 years and just got on with it. It was awful I wanted to die every day living in the place I found my 23 year old loves corpse but never used my tragedy as an excuse to give up and live on bennies forever.

No merely your dirty clothes because you cannot afford to replace your washing machine.

Wasting money on kitchen roll smh

Have you not seen the stuff posted about disabled people on UC, on MN?

What would ‘distributed fairly’ look like?

Well a lot of people wouldn't be able to suddenly survive with their income cut in half and traumatised children to care for.