I’m a single mum claiming a UC top up AMA

[cadburyegg]

There’s a lot of negative press and misinformation about benefit claimants so thought I’d start a thread. I work nearly full time and have 2 children. Ask away.

This thread is really enlightening! I earn a similar amount (actually if not less) and also have 2 children. 1 at school and 1 in pre school.
I work extra hours if possible and pick up random evening work that I can do from home such as paid market research etc. Never considered claiming UC.
So I'm interested that others in this situation do.
@AgathaMayhem I'm now thinking maybe it would benefit me to reduce to part time if there is that option to then be in a position to claim more - how lovely if you ha be the choice to do that and the state just top you up!

I don't think people realise there is a threshold within UC for 'free stuff' and it's very low.

Dentist, opticians etc aren't free, even if you get a top up

I also think you’re very brave! I’m an nhs nurse but single parent and also care for my sister who has a disability and I get universal credit top up and when I first qualified and was told I still qualified for housing help, childcare and carers element I did think is that a summary of how stretched we all are when you’re degree qualified in a professional job and still earn little enough to be entitled to universal credit

Do you have any savings, and if not have you ever had any?

I'd be interested to know what she pays in terms of rent (if she doesn't own). This is what kills husband and I, despite both working. We can't afford to buy!

The UC includes my youngest’s after school club which he attends once a week. It doesn’t include holiday club costs because I pay for those using childcare vouchers which I save from my salary every month. I know I would technically be better off if I claimed the cost of holiday clubs back, but I do it this way because a) childcare vouchers are no longer available to new claimants and I dont want to stop claiming in case I become ineligible for UC one day because I won’t be able to rejoin the scheme and b) it means I don’t have to pay a huge sum all at once in the summer holidays for example.

UC is paid monthly. Child benefit is every 4 weeks so I guess it works out a bit more than the figure I quoted.

I don’t get child maintenance from their dad currently. According to the CMS he is hardly working so earns a very low salary.

I have a mortgage of £660 a month. I’m very lucky it is that low, otherwise I’d be really struggling. I don’t get housing benefit because that is only paid to those in rental accommodation (not complaining, just stating a fact).

So do I. With childcare costs and service charge alone I was just about eligible (but I had Savings)

I own my home, mortgage is £660 a month.

@cadburyegg That is a low mortgage - how did you manage that?!!! Our rent is double that then some more!
How much a month do you have left over would you say once essential bills have been paid?

Part of it is for childcare so will end when my youngest stops going to after school club. The rest will gradually reduce as my children “age out” so finish full time education. I am hoping to go full time in a few years.

Wait. Are you a software developer? Is £35k really the going rate in that industry?

I agree with this. I am on a decent grade on the pay scale. But everything seems hugely expensive

How many hours a week do you work?

Do you believe that your ex is hardly working? If not, how is he managing to pay so little? Do your kids see him?

You should put your details into entitled to see if you are eligible for the Housing Benefit element of UC.

Why cant you go full time now? Why is that years away? (In a lone mother of 3 no CMS from ex either and no entitled to any UC…working full time)

Have you not heard of minimum wage? People doing valuable jobs on low pay? The OP is well above minimum wage but her ex partner does not want to financially contribute to his own children. That is far more shocking than apps wage.

I don’t think you are the kind of benefit claimant anyone is bothered by. More those who don’t work and claim thousands in benefits

Who are those people?

i am not sure if you mean “you” as in my specific situation, or “you” as in any individual claimant. In my exact current circumstances i think I could earn about £40k before becoming ineligible. If I was renting (and receiving housing element), and/or had higher childcare costs, potentially I could earn more than that and still receive a little. As for other claimants, that depends entirely on their personal circumstances - things like high rent costs, having disabled children etc can increase the amount of UC someone can be eligible for.

Your subsequent questions don’t have a simple answer. Anyone can “choose” to work part time I guess? But there are requirements to claiming UC. Again these are dependent on individual circumstances. When you open a UC claim you are told you have to agree to commitments. There is an amount that most claimants are expected to earn per month. This amount is different depending on - you guessed it - their circumstances! If a claimant earns over this then they are not expected to look for work, or more work. SOME people for example those with under 1 year olds, those with a disability, are not expected to earn this amount.

A single person should be earning £952 a month otherwise they will be expected to intensively work search. A couple should be earning £1530 I think. This isn’t an earnings limit , this is only about the intensity of requirements placed on the claimants. I believe those who are self employed are expected to earn more. It also doesn’t mean that those earning under this will be eligible for help. It depends on children, childcare costs, disability, housing costs and other elements that UC contribute to.

This isn’t a perfect answer to your question because the system is not easy to explain. Basically it depends on circumstances.

I am not an expert on the system, just a claimant so I apologise if anything is wrong.

But the way UC works is that in the majority of circumstances the claimant is usually better off the more hours they work. This may not be the case for the minority (those with very high childcare costs, lots of children, disability) but it is certainly true for the majority.

Thank you. I wish you all the best with your job search

Yes I’ve had to correct people on other threads about this. Optician and dental appointments are obviously free for my children. Opticians are not free for me nor are the cost of glasses. I don’t pay for regular dental appointments because I’m lucky enough to be with an NHS dentist. Procedures like having a wisdom tooth out I paid the going rate for (again not complaining just stating a fact)

What do you think could be done by the government and society/employers to change this situation?
Forcing absent/ non resident fathers to pay proper amounts of maintenance for their kids would be a start.

I take my hat off to you for doing all that you do x

Wouldn’t change how much UC anyone gets anyway