Why assume everyone on NMW is getting UC?

[asrarpolar]

Why do people assume that someone on national minimum wage is receiving universal credit? A couple both on national minimum wage can easily be receiving no universal credit, even if one is working part-time. Benefits are really low.

LHA rates are pretty high in some areas. I fully expected the landlords to jump in defending themselves.

Where are landlords jumping in and defending themselves?

Did you not read Islam52s posts?

If someone doesn't have kids it's one thing, they're eligible for less, but if people have kids they can claim UC even on a reasonable combined salary.

I would take their contributions with some salt tbh.

@porridgeisbae not true. £37k household income here and no entitlement.

So person 1 earns ? Works how many hours
2? Works how many hours
How many children?
House owned or rented
Rough location?

I earn less than £1500 a month. Single, no kids, self-employed. Not eligible for any benefits at all.

It's not that simple, is it. What you get depends on lots of factors. What you earn. Where you live. How many people are in your household. The age of the children.

On 37k, you might not get it. I know people who earn more and receive a significant amount in UC.

I would tell everyone to check and see if they are entitled to anything. I'm not assuming they are. I'm suggesting that the check so they don't struggle anymore than they have to unnecessarily.

So you own your own home with no childcare costs?
what's your combined net pay?

The thing I do know from reading a UC group on Facebook is that the job centre staff know as little about the rules as I do. Frequency of errors is horrible.

@DragonFly98 we get child benefit and have teenagers so no childcare costs. Everything else is pay.

I'm sorry but I will bite. You are single and have no kids. You can house share and save I know you may not want to but it is an option, you can work 2 jobs! I don't want to be rude but I do not know your circumstances..... however £1500 you need to house share on that salary. I'm a single mother and I work 2 jobs when I can find the childcare I take home more than some months and sometimes it's less.

Find a way to increase your earnings whilst you have no kids!

Why bite? They didn’t complain or say they were struggling for money… they said they don’t get benefits, as is the point of the thread. Guessing you don’t get any benefits seen as you are shouting at someone else to work more?

@Talk66talk why should they have to house share just because they don't have DC? What if they never earn any more? We have to have people to do the lower paid jobs and be able to afford to live without having to be in a house share at 40/50/60
They might never have children or a partner and we would be going into a very separated society if the people without DC or a partner are forced to house share for the rest of their life

People should be able to afford a studio/apartment to rent, it's not a massive luxury

I work 40hrs a week and can't work more due to chronic health conditions

@Paw2024 that poster said she doesn't get UC. They asked a question and I provided options. Do reply with context. There was no mention of disability because there are additional benefits you can apply for. The poster was moaning they aren't entitled to UC... People had a life before kids, we have experienced the same also. Before I became a mum I worked 60 hours a week.

Or she/he sorry**

@TeaKitten I work 2 jobs..
Check my username. What are you talking about?? Most people won't get UC as a single person earning 1500 why would they? I think it's YOU who has picked the wrong end of the stick. I was just saying the GOV are not going to top you uc unless you have high rent.

I don't get UC

And no, if you don't qualify for PIP (which is hard to get) then you don't qualify for additional benefits
I don't have mobility issues and am able to cook for myself mostly and work FT but I'm on the awkward edge of could really do with working 4 days not 5. Too sick to work more hours, too well to claim anything

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/universal-credit-statistics-29-april-2013-to-14-july-2022/universal-credit-statistics-29-april-2013-to-14-july-2022#households-on-universal-credit

Some government stats on UC. In 2022 roughly 41% of claimants worked. If you have a 2 parent household, older children, no rent or low rent, both working full-time and earning NMW, then it is quite likely you don't get UC unless you happen to have 6 older children, and/or disabilities in the household and are not impacted by 2 child limit.
But it is common to work and claim UC just as it was to get WTC, families are still on tax credits and are being migrated over to UC on transitional terms for a year so could have savings etc. that would normally exclude them from claiming UC.

I do benefit calculations all the time, NMW is propped up by benefits because it often is not enough to pay for housing and childcare especially but not exclusively in London.

So if someone assumes that if you earn MW you "should" or could be entitled to a benefit top up it is not really a shocker. The shocker in this country is how complacent we are about the poverty people face here.

@Paw2024 I never at any point said you do get UC. You've completely misunderstood.

No you were being rude to that person. They were not even asking a question. What are you so angry about? And what do you mean about your username?

What was their question?

I haven't, I'm just stating that same as the other poster I don't get UC

We can't shove everyone on min wage with no children or partner in a shared house
I can't afford children which is why I don't have any

@TeaKitten you was being rude, you called me a benefit basher and you started asking me if I claim any benefits. You have misunderstood for the last time..
I simple stated you, or anybody wouldn't get UC as a single working person that is all. I also stated that people who now have kids once didn't and would have been in the same position. There's rules about working with kids you know and our kids will also leave home too.