Page 2 | AIBU to be surprised someone on £34,000 receives Universal Credit?

Deepblueokay · Yesterday 20:25

Well prepare to be further stunned.... I earn 52k, single parent of 4. I get some UC too.

When I was much younger I thought 50k was a massive wage. Get that and be on easy street. Maybe a few years ago but certainly not now. I'm aware we're far from being on the breadline but I don't exactly live a life of luxury 😅 34k really isn't a massive wage nowadays. YABU.

jjW29 · Yesterday 20:24

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!

She must have be a single parent,£34k isn’t a lot for a household with children.As far as I’m aware maintenance payments don’t get taken into consideration when UC amounts are awarded

Mightymuscle · Yesterday 20:23

Trainee social worker on £34 thousand. Salary will increase on qualification so the benefit may well disappear. Surely there are children's benefits too.

Happyher · Yesterday 20:21

With kids and rent she could easily qualify

DontBuyAnotherBook · Yesterday 20:19

arethereanyleftatall · Yesterday 19:59

are you sure? My understanding that as my mortgage is flexible offset - this means I can take out the overpayments and anything other than the interest at any point. So I have access to money which is over £16k. So that takes me over the limit. But once I have finished paying it, I will no longer have access to the money, and then I can as I won’t have savings. That’s my understanding but happy to be corrected.

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Yes you can claim with a mortgage. You just don't get any help with it.

Kellph83 · Yesterday 20:14

£34k in theory is a decent wage but not if you have kids and need childcare or live in London and have to pay the extortionate rent prices.
just an example when my son was in nursery the fees were £1300 a month! My salary was £27k. My rent was cheap for London at £1200 a month! Imagine paying that out of a £2kish a month salary! Nursery fees these days are like £60 a day! People need top ups to live

Waheymum · Yesterday 20:05

Do you get it on a 34k salary in London?

ThatLemonBee · Yesterday 20:04

arethereanyleftatall · Yesterday 19:59

are you sure? My understanding that as my mortgage is flexible offset - this means I can take out the overpayments and anything other than the interest at any point. So I have access to money which is over £16k. So that takes me over the limit. But once I have finished paying it, I will no longer have access to the money, and then I can as I won’t have savings. That’s my understanding but happy to be corrected.

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That’s not how it works

ThatLemonBee · Yesterday 20:03

Why ? 34k if as a example is a single parent is nothing after tax . People on 50k get UC depending on their circumstances.

arethereanyleftatall · Yesterday 19:59

FedUp120028 · Yesterday 19:17

You can claim with a mortgage, you just cannot get housijg costs.

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are you sure? My understanding that as my mortgage is flexible offset - this means I can take out the overpayments and anything other than the interest at any point. So I have access to money which is over £16k. So that takes me over the limit. But once I have finished paying it, I will no longer have access to the money, and then I can as I won’t have savings. That’s my understanding but happy to be corrected.

StMarie4me · Yesterday 19:50

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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As you were being with your rage bait?

SameOldMe · Yesterday 19:32

Didyousaynutella · Yesterday 08:29

But what is the point of taking that promotion, with extra work and responsibility presumably, when you can just get a universal credit top up.
It feels like those on the middle to high incomes are penalised the most in this country.

I would say the high earners and lowest earners lose the most at an effective 60% reduction in anything you earn.

Therewegothen · Yesterday 19:29

SameOldMe · Yesterday 19:18

Mortgage doesn’t count as savings.

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Unless it's a property she doesn't live in.

Kirbert2 · Yesterday 19:26

ThisFunSheep · Yesterday 19:20

Yeah, people renting in high-cost areas can receive Universal Credit despite having fairly high household incomes.

For example, I know someone in London whose husband earns £40k, she looks after the kids, and they still receive Universal Credit. It’s not particularly unusual in London.

Personally, I don’t agree with taxpayers effectively topping up household incomes in expensive areas, especially when living there is largely a lifestyle choice and they don’t have strong family ties to the area.

I think there should be more expectation that people look for work and consider moving somewhere more affordable.

It also subsidises businesses and means they don't have as strong an incentive to move to more affordable areas as they can get staff and the state pays.

I.e. I actually have light industry on my London street. Probably a lot of the minimum wage workers are on Universal Credit. The owner wouldn't save on wages elsewhere.

Edited

Moving is also expensive though so I don't think it's that simple either. Unless moving expenses were paid but if someone can't get a job in another area or it is lower paying, they still may end up getting a large amount of UC anyway.

caringcarer · Yesterday 19:26

Single people working full time on UC with no kids get very little help even if they rent but if they have DC and anyone in the family gets PIP or DLA UC is quite generous.

SameOldMe · Yesterday 19:22

Hazzaar67 · Yesterday 18:19

You should not need benefits if you are on 34 grand a year. What they need is advice on how to budget

When social housing is 1400 a month and childcare can easily be 2k??

ThisFunSheep · Yesterday 19:20

Yeah, people renting in high-cost areas can receive Universal Credit despite having fairly high household incomes.

For example, I know someone in London whose husband earns £40k, she looks after the kids, and they still receive Universal Credit. It’s not particularly unusual in London.

Personally, I don’t agree with taxpayers effectively topping up household incomes in expensive areas, especially when living there is largely a lifestyle choice and they don’t have strong family ties to the area.

I think there should be more expectation that people look for work and consider moving somewhere more affordable.

It also subsidises businesses and means they don't have as strong an incentive to move to more affordable areas as they can get staff and the state pays.

I.e. I actually have light industry on my London street. Probably a lot of the minimum wage workers are on Universal Credit. The owner wouldn't save on wages elsewhere.

SameOldMe · Yesterday 19:18

arethereanyleftatall · Yesterday 19:11

Oh my goodness, I just put my figures in to entitled.to and initially thought I’m due some UC. I had no idea. But my mortgage counts as savings as I can withdraw it. So…as soon as I’ve paid it off completely, it means I can claim. This seems quite strange as I won’t have any housing costs. I’m not sure that I would claim it, doesn’t seem right as I don’t need it.

Mortgage doesn’t count as savings.

FedUp120028 · Yesterday 19:17

arethereanyleftatall · Yesterday 19:11

Oh my goodness, I just put my figures in to entitled.to and initially thought I’m due some UC. I had no idea. But my mortgage counts as savings as I can withdraw it. So…as soon as I’ve paid it off completely, it means I can claim. This seems quite strange as I won’t have any housing costs. I’m not sure that I would claim it, doesn’t seem right as I don’t need it.

You can claim with a mortgage, you just cannot get housijg costs.

SameOldMe · Yesterday 19:16

Bilbo63 · Yesterday 09:40

The system is designed to always be better off working - she would have lost 55p in the pound for that £1.00 - so £55 taken away from benefits - but £45 better off. Perhaps the 3 days extra AL was a more attractive option to her?

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Nope the uc taper is after after tax though so only take home 30 odd quid out of that 100.

FedUp120028 · Yesterday 19:16

I could earn 100k and my entitlement still wouldn't be 0!

arethereanyleftatall · Yesterday 19:11

Oh my goodness, I just put my figures in to entitled.to and initially thought I’m due some UC. I had no idea. But my mortgage counts as savings as I can withdraw it. So…as soon as I’ve paid it off completely, it means I can claim. This seems quite strange as I won’t have any housing costs. I’m not sure that I would claim it, doesn’t seem right as I don’t need it.

PickleRickChick · Yesterday 18:57

ItsPickleRick · 25/09/2026 14:58

You missed a key detail, how convenient.

Despite not knowing all the details you still felt the urge to start a thread on Mumsnet about it?

We all see what you’re trying to do here OP.

Nice name! 😁

HoldMeFlat · Yesterday 18:54

She must have children, and possibly disability involved too. I don’t anywhere near that and I’m not entitled to a UC top up or any other discounts or help.

Hazzaar67 · Yesterday 18:47

If you can't live on £34,000 a year you are doing something wrong. No wonder the welfare Bill is completely through the roof