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Original poster

AIBU to be surprised someone on £34,000 receives Universal Credit?

364 replies

Balicious · 25/09/2026 14:37

I was listening to BBC Radio 5 Live at work yesterday morning. They were discussing the Conservatives’ proposal to stop people spending benefits on alcohol, cigarettes, etc.—but that isn’t what my question is about.
One caller said she earns £34,000 a year as a trainee social worker and receives an additional £500 a month in Universal Credit. She didn’t mention having children, paying rent or having a disability—she simply said she struggles to live on £34,000 and needs Universal Credit to top up her wages.
What is going on? That’s more than I earn! Could I apply for a top-up too? Has anyone else heard of someone working full-time and earning well above minimum wage having their salary topped up by Universal Credit? I just couldn't get over what I was hearing!

OP posts:
catspam79 · 25/09/2026 16:54

Plsfindattached · 25/09/2026 16:52

Well then the devil is in the detail.

You have savings. Because you would be entitled to UC.

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No savings under the threshold. Why don’t you call them on my behalf as you seem adamant I’m wrong

Plsfindattached · 25/09/2026 16:52

catspam79 · 25/09/2026 16:49

Yeah I’m not an idiot . If I had qualified I would be getting it

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Well then the devil is in the detail.

You have savings. Because you would be entitled to UC.

JoGenie · 25/09/2026 16:52

catspam79 · 25/09/2026 16:42

I earn that’ amount with 1 child and was told I don’t qualify??

They take all your circumstances into account, like savings, rent and service charges. Every case will be slightly different.

dustabsorber · 25/09/2026 16:52

Boomer55 · 25/09/2026 16:35

Wages were different then though. 🤷‍♀️

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Mass immigration has driven property prices up and wages down.

catspam79 · 25/09/2026 16:49

Plsfindattached · 25/09/2026 16:48

You applied for UC
and DWP responded that you were entitled to zero as a single mother on £34k with a dependent?

Edited
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Yeah I’m not an idiot . If I had qualified I would be getting it

Plsfindattached · 25/09/2026 16:48

catspam79 · 25/09/2026 16:44

By UC

You applied for UC
and DWP responded that you were entitled to zero as a single mother on £34k with a dependent?

Mycatiscraycray · 25/09/2026 16:47

Two in two days.

pokewomans · 25/09/2026 16:47

IdaGlossop · 25/09/2026 16:34

It is. But it's a factor nonetheless.

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And yet it’s the only you mentioned!

pokewomans · 25/09/2026 16:45

Boomer55 · 25/09/2026 16:35

Wages were different then though. 🤷‍♀️

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Yeah they grew then and now they stagnate

Average London FT wage

80s - 7-8k
Now - 40k

@Boomer55 the name is apt I guess…

catspam79 · 25/09/2026 16:44

By UC

Plsfindattached · 25/09/2026 16:43

catspam79 · 25/09/2026 16:42

I earn that’ amount with 1 child and was told I don’t qualify??

By whom?

Take ownership of your situation and input in to a benefits calculator

Dweetfidilove · 25/09/2026 16:42

Blinkett · 25/09/2026 15:54

it wasn’t nonsense though was it. She DOES earn £34k and she DOES get UC. Why? What does the children’s dad contribute?

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She didn’t mention having children, paying rent or having a disability—she simply said she struggles to live on £34,000 and needs Universal Credit to top up her wages.

Nonsense, as someone else listening pointed out the OP was missing this vital information.

catspam79 · 25/09/2026 16:42

I earn that’ amount with 1 child and was told I don’t qualify??

Badbadbunny · 25/09/2026 16:39

Boomer55 · 25/09/2026 16:35

Wages were different then though. 🤷‍♀️

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But wages haven't risen at anywhere near the same rate as housing costs. The proportions/percentages are way out of proportion compared with the 70s and 80s.

Badbadbunny · 25/09/2026 16:38

concertinacornflake · 25/09/2026 16:33

I'm fine with equalising up but what needs to happen is private sector should pay more into pensions.
Public sector = lower pay, better pension. If you cut the pension, the wages should rise.

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Except wages have become quite comparable/competitive with private sector due to the poor growth in private sector wages over the past couple of decades. The old situation of public sector wages being considerably lower is now longer the case, especially at the "lower" end of the scale of jobs. Maybe not at the higher end.

What is stupid, is that the taxpayer is paying UC to lower paid public sector workers and also financing their gold plated future pensions. If PS wages were higher and pensions were lower, they'd not be getting UC (or getting much less). It's another area of public sector where there's no "overall" thinking across departments etc. It's all far too "silo-ed" where only one aspect is considered rather than the entire picture.

Boomer55 · 25/09/2026 16:35

pokewomans · 25/09/2026 16:31

Yep, my parents house cost 40k in the 80s & they sell for 1.8m now. Despite me working DH & I can’t afford it 🤔

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Wages were different then though. 🤷‍♀️

IdaGlossop · 25/09/2026 16:34

pokewomans · 25/09/2026 16:29

It’s a minor factor.

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It is. But it's a factor nonetheless.

concertinacornflake · 25/09/2026 16:33

nearlylovemyusername · 25/09/2026 16:29

They could pay better if they didn't sit on public sector pensions which private sector can't even dream about. We need to equalise pension provision and then salaries can grow as well.

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I'm fine with equalising up but what needs to happen is private sector should pay more into pensions.
Public sector = lower pay, better pension. If you cut the pension, the wages should rise.

Kirbert2 · 25/09/2026 16:33

MummyOre · 25/09/2026 16:32

Few people seem to understand how UC works yet have strong opinions on it.

Happens with DLA, PIP etc too.

MummyOre · 25/09/2026 16:32

Few people seem to understand how UC works yet have strong opinions on it.

TicklishReader · 25/09/2026 16:32
Grin

AHHHHH!... Oh.

pokewomans · 25/09/2026 16:31

FriendlyMedusa · 25/09/2026 16:24

In 1975, the proportion of households with two adults working was 49%. Today it's 74% - a 51% increase. And yet house prices have risen by 2500% since 1975.

I don't think I will be blaming feminism, no.

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Yep, my parents house cost 40k in the 80s & they sell for 1.8m now. Despite me working DH & I can’t afford it 🤔

concertinacornflake · 25/09/2026 16:31

Balicious · 25/09/2026 14:51

Why the need to be rude? I said I was working, so yes, I obviously missed that detail. It’s easy to be unpleasant from behind a keyboard.

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You've made a fool of yourself by getting outraged without facts.

Don't assume the worst next time, check your facts.

milksmell · 25/09/2026 16:31

Ubugly · 25/09/2026 14:55

£34K is approx 2300 take home. Rent round here would be approx 1700 for a v small 2 bed house so that leaves 500 left for everything else which isn't really enough.

Something needs to change with the staggering cost of renting.

Yes because everyone demonises claimants but benefit money (housing element) is going straight into greedy landlords pockets !

Kirbert2 · 25/09/2026 16:30

Did you really think she was just randomly getting UC for no reason? Of course it's because she has children (in this case) but it can also be rent, childcare, disability, carer or all of the above.