Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Whole families on UC, PIP, DLA and carers' allowance for each other?

578 replies

Hutinthemiddleofnowhere · 05/09/2026 23:03

This isn't a bashing, rather a genuine observation and we're privileged in the UK to have support with benefits and disabilities.

Having adopted 2 siblings with special needs over a decade ago it opened me up to a whole new world to me. With DC in specialist schools and needing a lot of intervention from agencies and medical support I've met so many parents and children. As a teacher this was so insightful and, while having always been extra devoted to students who had difficulties, my own experience as a parent took it to another level.

Teaching, I was always aware and sympathetic to those who barely made it to lesson, almost fell asleep but professionally had to adhere to the 'not participating' and when told to 'fuck off' it was call out. I knew there would be further investigation as to why they act like this by more able and senior colleagues. Didn't take it personally but, as you can imagine, it's difficult when you have several students like this while under the pressure of teaching a tricky maths part of the syllabus.

So as a parent of ND DC I experienced it from the other side. It was very difficult because our DC were causing disruptions due to their severe diagnosis.

Throughout our journey and specialist schools I saw a lot of reality. This comes (finally) back to my point. Year after year it became blatantly obvious that the vast majority of children have parents with their own issues, whether hereditary or learnt behaviour.

I got a job at the primary school as a liason officer so met most parents. All lovely and care about their DC but sadly struggled with managing themselves, their homes etc. Those few who weren't eligible for taxis and escorts (walkable distance) relied heavily on GPs to take and pick up from school. There were some parents who did drive and drop off, like me, but it was about 5%.

So mostly the parents were on UC, claimed PIp for anxiety and MH, got DLA for all DC and also carers' allowance for looking after DC. While i visited it was clear they were were reclusive, their days were spent watching TV, gaming, DC picked up in a taxi and they had struggled to get out of bed, knew they are provided breakfast at school, went back to bed. Yes I've seen this on an early morning visit multiple times.

I understand but also a part of me felt frustrated that they had fallen into a rut, able bodied, could have long conversations, but have had so much support that has enabled this.

As a school we reached out to parents to come and integrate, provided workshops, held informal educational classes how we can help our DC. As a parent and before being employed there I attended these and it so nice to meet other parents. The reality... they just sat there, being served coffee by an already busy TA, talked all the way through the presentations then left, after already leaving several times for a smoke during an hour and half get together. Still as an attending parent at this point I could see TA was struggling so stepped in to help serve the refreshments, set up equipment and clear up afterwards. One Mum asked me to open a window, another asked to give her some biscuits...I was the same as them, a parent, but they were just totally oblivious to the situation.

Then walking out, having cleaned up and they were chatting outside, all I heard was that was so boring, I know how to bring up my kids, waste of time coming out, so what you doing now, probably Netflix.

Then getting the role and seeing deeper into their lifestyles it confirmed that actually so many of these parents had come from a generational cycle with low aspirations and no encouragement within modern education, social workers or support from us all could change their mindsets of behaviour. Sadly it really is a case of we get money, DC have their consoles, school provides meals and exercise, bags of amazing stuff at Christmas and end of year which we don't even say thank you for, we can complain online if we don't like something etc.

This is just the basic circumstances, delve deeper and you would be shocked at how some of these poor kids live. A whole different thread would have to be made about drug dealing, violence, not allowing DC in the house so they have to become one of the balaclava gangs and so much more.

As parents, even if we have our own issues, we all need to put our DC first, not rely on others to do it for us.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
HouseBee · Yesterday 21:35

ExpectMore · Yesterday 21:17

But why as a couple, who are presumably both already on PIP, do they need carers allowance for one another?

They already get PIP as they can’t work, and would presumably look after one another as a couple, so why do we need to pay them more?

PIP pays furvtye added costs of being disabled.
CA is ‘replacing’ a wage due to caring responsibilities. (If we can call that a wage)

2 very different things for different reasons.

PIP is not and was never meant to be something you live on, like UC or CA are.
the fact many disabled people rely on it to be able to live is a symptom of how little people get to live on. It’s supposed to go on mobility aid, heating, therapies, food (as in specific diets), carer, cleaner etc etc…. Anything that will help a disabled people live.

roaringdragon · Yesterday 21:42

likelysuspect · Yesterday 21:30

If someone is out of work, then their NI credits are paid via UC in any case, the CA doesnt need to fulfil this role

If someone is in work then their NI credits are dealt with via that way.

You are assuming they are claiming UC as well. Not all do. The person I was replying to didn’t mention UC, only PIP and CA.

If they are claiming UC as well, why the uproar at paying CA since it is deducted £ for £ from UC? It doesn’t cost the state more if it is all deducted.

UC only pays class 3 credits, CA pays class 1, so it is wise to claim CA even if on UC anyway because CA gives a better class of NI credits.

OneLilacHedgehog · Yesterday 22:09

SkinnyCigarette · Yesterday 18:40

Can you give an example of someone who is “better off financially” than you who is on benefits compared to your full time wage?

Mum claiming pip with three disabled children and partner working. They get his wage plus will be entitled to about £3k benefits plus rent, She would have to earn a high wage to replace benefits.

SlugJam · Yesterday 22:15

OneLilacHedgehog · Yesterday 22:09

Mum claiming pip with three disabled children and partner working. They get his wage plus will be entitled to about £3k benefits plus rent, She would have to earn a high wage to replace benefits.

She could work and still claim PIP plus DLA for the 3 children 🤷🏻‍♀️.
People do realise that having a disabled child isn’t a bed of roses though, don’t they? My son gets hog higher rate DLA. I’d give anything for him not to be disabled, and to one day be able to live an independent life.

SlugJam · Yesterday 22:17

ExpectMore · Yesterday 21:17

But why as a couple, who are presumably both already on PIP, do they need carers allowance for one another?

They already get PIP as they can’t work, and would presumably look after one another as a couple, so why do we need to pay them more?

They alternative is that the care is provided by a third party, which would cost the state a hell of a lot more than the pittance that is carers allowance.
And PIP isn’t an out of work benefit. You can work and claim PIP.

OneLilacHedgehog · Yesterday 22:18

SlugJam · Yesterday 22:15

She could work and still claim PIP plus DLA for the 3 children 🤷🏻‍♀️.
People do realise that having a disabled child isn’t a bed of roses though, don’t they? My son gets hog higher rate DLA. I’d give anything for him not to be disabled, and to one day be able to live an independent life.

You do understand that a lot of conditions people claim PIP for, they would no longer be eligible if they worked? If you say you can't cope with communicating with strangers, only leave the house to go to familiar places, struggle following through with any tasks, get anxious if anyone asks you to do anything. Etc etc.
If you could work, you would be ineligible for pip. Usually they will be claiming UC or lcwra.

Plenty of children who get DLA transition to pip and UC and their own place at the same age as their peers.

SlugJam · Yesterday 22:20

OneLilacHedgehog · Yesterday 22:18

You do understand that a lot of conditions people claim PIP for, they would no longer be eligible if they worked? If you say you can't cope with communicating with strangers, only leave the house to go to familiar places, struggle following through with any tasks, get anxious if anyone asks you to do anything. Etc etc.
If you could work, you would be ineligible for pip. Usually they will be claiming UC or lcwra.

Plenty of children who get DLA transition to pip and UC and their own place at the same age as their peers.

Edited

I understand that PIP isn’t an out of work benefit, and many people will be able to work and still be eligible for PIP.

OneLilacHedgehog · Yesterday 22:22

SlugJam · Yesterday 22:20

I understand that PIP isn’t an out of work benefit, and many people will be able to work and still be eligible for PIP.

Only one fifth of people who get pip work. The vast majority do not.

ChloeKellys · Yesterday 22:25

SlugJam · Yesterday 22:15

She could work and still claim PIP plus DLA for the 3 children 🤷🏻‍♀️.
People do realise that having a disabled child isn’t a bed of roses though, don’t they? My son gets hog higher rate DLA. I’d give anything for him not to be disabled, and to one day be able to live an independent life.

Look obviously it's not the child's fault they are disabled and given they are born we should support them as obviously they didn't choose to be born this way. But after having not one but two disabled kids... Why have a third?

ChloeKellys · Yesterday 22:27

OneLilacHedgehog · Yesterday 22:22

Only one fifth of people who get pip work. The vast majority do not.

Maybe they are too unwell to work

Kirbert2 · Yesterday 22:28

OneLilacHedgehog · Yesterday 22:18

You do understand that a lot of conditions people claim PIP for, they would no longer be eligible if they worked? If you say you can't cope with communicating with strangers, only leave the house to go to familiar places, struggle following through with any tasks, get anxious if anyone asks you to do anything. Etc etc.
If you could work, you would be ineligible for pip. Usually they will be claiming UC or lcwra.

Plenty of children who get DLA transition to pip and UC and their own place at the same age as their peers.

Edited

Not all children on DLA receive both high rate care and high rate mobility though which is what pp was talking about in regards to independence. They are less likely able to transition to their own place.

OneLilacHedgehog · Yesterday 22:30

ChloeKellys · Yesterday 22:27

Maybe they are too unwell to work

Yes with some. With others there is no point working as they will lose their pip and other disability benefits if they are well enough to work and be no better off.

Kirbert2 · Yesterday 22:31

ChloeKellys · Yesterday 22:25

Look obviously it's not the child's fault they are disabled and given they are born we should support them as obviously they didn't choose to be born this way. But after having not one but two disabled kids... Why have a third?

Babies aren't born with ''I have autism'' (or whatever it may be) tattooed on their foreheads. If people have their children close together and/or are autistic themselves so their children present similar to them, it can be tricky to realise until you have already had 2 or 3 children in some cases.

ChloeKellys · Yesterday 22:41

Kirbert2 · Yesterday 22:31

Babies aren't born with ''I have autism'' (or whatever it may be) tattooed on their foreheads. If people have their children close together and/or are autistic themselves so their children present similar to them, it can be tricky to realise until you have already had 2 or 3 children in some cases.

Don't they see it after maybe not 1 but see the development of 2 kids?

If the parents also themselves have genetic health issues, maybe don't pass it along to offspring?

SkinnyCigarette · Yesterday 22:41

OneLilacHedgehog · Yesterday 22:09

Mum claiming pip with three disabled children and partner working. They get his wage plus will be entitled to about £3k benefits plus rent, She would have to earn a high wage to replace benefits.

For God’s sake. This is exhausting.

You aren't describing someone 'better off financially', you're describing a household supporting four disabled people on one wage.

PIP/DLA is not income. It's a non means tested benefit meant to cover the exorbitant lifelong costs of medical equipment, mobility, therapies and specialist care. If you think a family dealing with three disabled children and one disabled parent is living the high life because the state helps keep them afloat, you are confusing survival support for severe illness with disposable income.

Kirbert2 · Yesterday 22:44

ChloeKellys · Yesterday 22:41

Don't they see it after maybe not 1 but see the development of 2 kids?

If the parents also themselves have genetic health issues, maybe don't pass it along to offspring?

Not always. Again, especially if children are close in age.

5128gap · Yesterday 23:11

cornflakecrunchie · Yesterday 19:40

What a strange thread.
No one has any answers, just wanting to argue with others.
I'm out.

That's because so many people can't or refuse to look beyond cutting people's benefits. In some cases its because they've a solution looking for a problem, in others they see only one solution to a problem without knowledge that it doesn't actually work.
The OP manages to combine both these approaches. She wants benefits cut, so has introduced the problem of workless families and the idea that removing benefits is the solution.
There are many ways to reduce worklessness and there is evidence that cutting peoples benefits is not one of them. Its the other way round. Tackle worklessness and benefits savings will follow.

EvieBB · Yesterday 23:28

EvieBB · Yesterday 08:32

How can that even be approved? Is someone not "joining up the dots" back in the office? Surely once the jaw catches up with them, they will have stiff penalties to pay?? I don't know how people have the audacity to do this 😬

Oops! Law not jaw! 😂

ChloeKellys · Today 00:22

Kirbert2 · Yesterday 22:44

Not always. Again, especially if children are close in age.

After 2 kids probably you can see the signs. And even so, maybe good reason to space the kids out.

And if you're disabled yourself, why pass that disability on.

ChloeKellys · Today 00:29

If someone is abled bodied (and doesn't need to care for the sick) and you slowly slowly taper away benefit it incentives them to find a way to make up those benefits. Perhaps they work a bit longer than the standard 37.5. maybe they get a longer job, take some time to learn to upskill (I wouldn't find actually welfare being used to fund a course). Perhaps they start their own business or build something from their laptop.

As they say give a man a fish he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for the rest of his life

Kirbert2 · Today 00:34

ChloeKellys · Today 00:22

After 2 kids probably you can see the signs. And even so, maybe good reason to space the kids out.

And if you're disabled yourself, why pass that disability on.

Not always.

Because they don't believe in eugenics? Because they don't know they are autistic themselves, especially women as it is harder to diagnose autism in girls? Who knows.

SkinnyCigarette · Today 00:35

ChloeKellys · Today 00:22

After 2 kids probably you can see the signs. And even so, maybe good reason to space the kids out.

And if you're disabled yourself, why pass that disability on.

Wow. What a way to dehumanise disabled people and fundamentally misunderstand genetics, child development and basic human rights.

Very sinister too, because claiming people with disabilities shouldn’t reproduce and that society should prevent disabled births was the type of logic and movement championed by the Nazi party back in the 1930’s.

Not sure if you’re aware that many disabilities result from birth trauma and complications, illness, accidents, environmental factors or late onset conditions. A parent having a disability doesnt automatically mean their child will inherit the same.

Also most neuro-developmental conditions like ADHD, ASD, developmental delays etc. only become identifiable as a child grows which could be years after younger siblings may already be born. So your argument of “after 2 kids probably you can see the signs” doesn’t hold any weight. At all.

There’s no point trying to get through to you though. I’m cringing at all the uneducated waffle you’re spouting.

DancingOctopus · Today 00:40

I have children with special needs and have attended meetings at school. I accepted the offer of a cup of tea?
Shouldn't I have?
Should I have made one instead for the TA?

HeyThereDelila · Today 00:42

YANBU OP.

I’ve been on the left all my life, but on the issues of benefits and asylum, we’ve just created systems that are now completely abused.

captainfloaty · Today 00:57

Harry12345 · Yesterday 13:48

I work with people who get benifits daily. A single person on SDP and UC gets up to 1600, I am working with a single mum who gets nearly £2500 and that doesn’t include rent or council tax. She gets every grant going and free dental care. I have a disability and a child with asd. I am not against benifits but don’t think you should be better off than someone working. I would need to pay my rent and council tax off if my £2500 wage

That may be so but a great many people on benefits won't qualify for both of those to begin with and of those that do, only some will get that much.

And you've confirmed that it's a certain demographic that tend to get the larger amounts - moderately or severely disabled people with next to no savings, single parents with next to no savings etc. Many of those who don't qualify for both won't have any interaction with people in jobs like yours so you may not be aware of how many are vastly worse off than working professionals. I qualified for disability benefits 5 years ago and have had next to no interaction with any benefits professionals since then. I get about 50% minimum wage as do many of my disabled friends and that has to cover everything including housing, disability costs etc. It obviously doesn't and I am very lucky to have family members paying many of my bills because I need to hang on to my savings for treatment that the NHS won't fund (some of my conditions are not recognised by the NHS and I have had to go abroad for treatment multiple times over the last few years). They didn't know that though and had it not been for family members willing to do this I would be in dire straights now.

That's not to say I don't think wages should be higher - but that's another issue. We should be fighting for higher wages rather than looking to cut benefits - we don't spend a lot on benefits compared to other developed countries or compared to past welfare spending. We have always spent a fairly average amount and this has remained fairly constant over the last 5 decades. We are spending more on some things but less on others and it balances out.

Do you or your child qualify for disability benefits yourselves? Do you have a spouse or partner to share the load with?