Living on benefits

[Worriednanof1]

Are there any single mums on here who live successfully on benefits alone? My pregnant daughter who has already got a 2 year old has suddenly found herself alone and much as we would, of course, take her in, it wouldn't be ideal. Would she be entitled to enough to support herself in a house/flat of her own?

Pretty stupid comment. She didn’t say he’d left her, she said he’d done a runner, so you can probably assume he’s done a runner.

I'm not suggesting that OP's DD should be forced to do this but several nurseries in my area take babies from as young as 6 or 12 weeks old.

I had to go back to work when my eldest was 16 weeks-we needed the money. When money is tight, people do things that they might not choose to do, otherwise

Thanks for that, very helpful 👍 i think i know slightly more about the situation than you do.

I totally agree with all of your comments that she will need to work, especially given the help towards childcare that she would get. It is the here and now i am worried about. She won't be able to work for a few months.

Sorry if this has been asked, is the father on the current tenancy agreement

I believe so yes, a joint tenancy. They have a few months left of their contract.

I lived on benefits for a couple of years when dds were young- I’m a single mum. It was fine at the time although that was pre col crisis. I’m a high earner now so worked out fine for me.

@Beezknees , very fair. But on a thread asking advice,y advice would always be to work bs benefits. However, I agree that of course she can take option for benefits instead.

Regardless of what she chooses, two young kids will be flipping hard and this is going to be a stressful few years. I wish her the best!

Well said. I did take a couple of years off when dds were young but went back when youngest was 10 months.

When she can't pay the rental they will chase her ex for the money he is legally obliged to pay it if he's on the tenancy. They will take whoever to court it is easiest to get the money out of. They might know where she is but if she has no money taking her to court is pointless so they won't bother, she'll just get evicted. If he has a job they'll go after him. If DD can provide his new address even better. Obviously if she wants to stay there she's going to have to start paying the rent LL isn't going to care about her personal circumstances

Can you actually claim UC in advance now for childcare? I know it was being talked about.

When my DS was young, one of the big problems was that childcare costs were paid in arrears. If you wanted to work and had 2 children needing nursery places it's over a thousand pounds that you have to pay in advance and you don't get it back until a month later, most people on benefits don't have that kind of spare cash.

Uc is still paid in arrears for childcare

You can claim childcare in advance but you need to be in the required to look for work group. I did a few years ago when I started full time work. It’s a grant which is good and travel costs.

Single mum to one on benefits here. I get all my rent covered as I'm in a council house. I have had to do extra work when I could here and there and had some savings in the beginning and it still feels like a struggle and I've racked up some debt. I don't even have car to pay for. No single mum with a newborn realistically has the time energy or stamina to be searching for the deals on the freshest food and cooking all their food from scratch, to save costs, so food costs me more than it did pre children. That's my biggest outgoing, as well as bus fares to take my daughter out and toddler groups etc. Getting a bit cheaper now she's at school however things always crop up, like a taxi the other night home from a&e with her, or a taxi home when the bus didn't show up after an hour in the rain- it usually involves a taxi from somewhere, or me being ill and having to buy take away. Saying that though, I don't have a shop near me, so that makes things a hundred times harder financially and mentally. Holiday childcare is non existent in my area so I can only make extra money doing surveys or stuff like that, when I find the time and energy!

I don't know Yorkshire specifically but I do know 2 families rehoused quickly in East Lancashire in social housing and another in Newcastle who was rehoused within 10 days of their section 21 expiring so it never even went to court for a possession order. I would be surprised if she couldn't get something quite quickly in Yorkshire which would make all the difference. If she can get somewhere then she'll be able to manage, it'll be tight but just about doable at least for the short term.

Update - the runner has returned but barely speaking & acting like a child. Who knows what will happen next, she's coming to me for a few days away from it all.