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

I earn significantly more than that and I'm entitled to the childcare element of UC, it literally pays the wrap around costs. If I didn't have wrap around/childcare costs then I wouldn't be able to claim.

It’s shocking how wages have stagnated while prices have inflated so much.
where is the money going ? It’s not going to the workers, it’s going to shareholders and ceos.
wages haven’t risen for 20 years, it’s disgusting how much they are suppressed. And now suppressed to the point that the government has to subsidise people’s wages so they can have a basic standard of living. While money gets siphoned off to shareholders and investors and wages just stagnate.

It is of you're on minimum wage

I earn over 40k and get uc. Childcare, rent and disabled child...

Are you a single parent?

One third of Universal Credit claimants work and earn wages.

You should do a benefit check OP. The cost of living is so high, make sure you get help you're entitled to.

How old are you @SkyRaisin ?

Only relatively. Objectively £34k isnt even an average salary, let alone an average household income.

Its funny how nobody had an issue when people where on working tax credit but now its been moved over to universal credit its a problem

No need to snipe. 🙄. I was just pointing out that wages and costs rise over the years..

I might be one of the ‘privileged’ boomers, but, for what it’s worth, I rent a social housing flat - pay £1000 per month, and get no help with that or anything else.

Not all pensioners are clueless, living in £1 million homes and living off of the fat of the land.

@Boomer55 Except I never said all pensioners were clueless.

Responding to my post about a house that was 40k in the 80s & is now 1.8m with “but wages were different then” is utterly clueless…

I was just pointing out that wages and costs rise over the years

And as I said there is something called wage stagnation, read about it & be less clueless!

But it's UC that have caused wages to stagnate. Employers can pay minimum wage and the worker gets topped up to the same level as a senior teacher via UC.

If the employer pays more, UC payments are reduced and the worker is no better off, so the employer would be stupid to pay more.

The employer is happy and the worker is happy. The people being taxed crazy amounts to pay for it aren't happy, but they're the class enemies of Labour, so 🤷.

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.

But only (accordingly to Google) 8 million people out of a workforce of 34 million get universal credit so I'm not sure that's why wages are suppressed, as the majority are working for the same low wages without top ups.

Yet many are up in arms when the minimum wage rises - the rise reduces UC payouts

Umm - progression and pride? Not having to rely on benefits? I work within benefits - the majority of people working try to earn more to get off them.

Do you have a mortgage, own your home outright, or rent?

But that's really hard and there are cliff edge drop offs. My sister worked in a factory and they wanted to raise her wage, she's be on about £100 a month more after tax etc but would lose almost all her benefits, making her £200 a month worse off overall. So she declined the pay rise and got 3 days extra annual leave instead. If the system was fairer, she'd have gained the extra earnings, lost less in benefits and been better off overall, but that isn't how it works.

It's nice that you think you're entitled to make that decision. However, until you're promoted to Secretary of State for the DWP, It's not up to you, is it?
Incidentally, its called Universal Credit.

No one would believe my family get UC on what my husband earns but it's simple. You get an award made up of many elements. Then they take off (in my case) carers allowance and 55% of your income after the first 427. If your award is high you can get it if you earn ok. We have 2 disabled kids on our award, 3 kids in total, and high rent so still get it

This makes the immediate assumption that they are a mortgage payer/home owner though? As there is no housing element on your calculation? It is housing costs that generally trigger a UC entitlement in these circumstances. So you can't say "wouldn't be entitled to"

Indeed; but you still shouldn't have stated "wouldn't be entitled to" based on what you set out.

Nope that doesn't surprise me unfortunately.

its not benefits that are out of control, it’s the things they’re having to cover like ever rising housing costs, fuel costs, childcare costs, food…