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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

tax credit cuts

63 replies

yellowdianthus · 02/06/2012 09:36

help! me and my partner are lucky enough to own our home but its very shabby as we cant afford to do it up much. the cuts to the tax credits mean we are seriously considering going on benefits full time which i never though we would ever be in this situation.
does the government not realise they are pushing people into this? we dont get free petrol on expenses etc and i live in a rural area.
i am struggling to pay the bills now, i dont want fancy things i just want to be able to pay the bills and have some kind of life. this is no life. its awful. i feel bad for my son but we had him before the recession and we both earned a good wage and now we dont. how do other people cope with this. i cant afford to heat my home or buy food sometimes. ive got alot of debt too : (

OP posts:

ErikNorseman · 02/06/2012 09:37

You will hardly be better off on benefits!

Chubfuddler · 02/06/2012 09:38

You would be much much worse off, both short term and long term, on benefits.

runronnie · 02/06/2012 09:38

we are all struggling love

Dprince · 02/06/2012 09:38

Where has the debt come from. The cuts have only been in place a few months.

Corgito · 02/06/2012 09:39

'A lot of debt' is probably where it's going wrong. Have you seen one of the free debt advisory services? CCCS, CAB and National Debtline are very good at helping people like you, struggling to make ends meet because of their debts. Make the debts more manageable and you'd probably have enough money to meet your outgoings.

VashtiBunyan · 02/06/2012 09:39

Have you got a mortgage?

MrsHuxtable · 02/06/2012 09:40

Chubfuddler · 02/06/2012 09:41

How much do you actually stand to lose with the changes?

OddBoots · 02/06/2012 09:42

If you move completely to benefits you will lose more control for your own future, you will be even more subject to the decisions of the government.

It is hard, it's very hard for you and many families but the best thing you can do for yourself is to be as independent of state help as you can be.

Olympia2012 · 02/06/2012 09:42

You can't just 'go on benefits' .... You do realise this don't you?

DeckSwabber · 02/06/2012 09:42

if you voluntarily give up work you won't get benefits....

Work has other advantages - long term prospects wil be better, better role model for your children etc.

ErikNorseman · 02/06/2012 09:43

I don't mean to sound cruel (I did it too) but tax credits aren't in place to pay off debts that you ran up in good times. We have £200 a month less than we should to live on due to debt repayments, that's not the government's fault it's ours.

hairylemon · 02/06/2012 09:46

MistyRocks · 02/06/2012 09:47

oh dear this thread won't end well. :)

zeeboo · 02/06/2012 09:50

Good luck 'going on benefits' as a homeowner!

milkand2sugars · 02/06/2012 09:51

A lot of people are in your situation at the moment and I do know people that have left jobs and gone on to benefits. They are better off now! Which is wrong but sadly the way things are working out.

Me and my dh both work and struggle to pay bills and feed the family. We haven't got time or money for any basic luxuries we are simply working to survive.

I will be honest and say I have thought about going on benefits but can't justify giving up a stable job when I know they are so hard to find at the moment.

Have you tried going to cab they can help you with your debts. It's a hard time and I do worry about what is going to be the situation for my dc's when they grow up.

VashtiBunyan · 02/06/2012 09:53

We have gone from two incomes to benefits. We are definitely not better off. We are in massive arrears on our mortgage.

Olympia2012 · 02/06/2012 10:00

I think there are a lot of myths about being on benefits..... How would you be better off?

helloclitty · 02/06/2012 10:02

So the real issue is that you ran up debts? Whose fault is that?

Acumenoop · 02/06/2012 10:08

It's possible, but unlikely you'd be better off on benefits financially. Benefits are income related. You can get nearly all the ancilliary benefits on tax credits if your income is as low, so the only two things you can get on benefits that you can't get on the same income on tax credits is free school meals and support for mortgage interest. You can get SMI for two years.

There are some exceptions to this but in general this is true. You can claim housing benefit while working if your income is low. Same with council tax benefit. You can get tax credit exemptions for eye, dental and prescription charges. You can claim Carer's Allowance while working (within restrictions). DLA, Child TC and CB are both in and out of work benefits.

Being on benefits is a huge psychological weight, take it from me. It can be soul destroying. If you can avoid it, do.

FlangelinaBallerina · 02/06/2012 10:10

It sounds like you'd be better off taking debt advice rather than going on benefits.

Mosman · 02/06/2012 10:14

Debt, death and divorce, if you can avoid those three you'll have a happy life. If not one tends to be buggered in my experience.

perceptionreality · 02/06/2012 10:19

You will only be better off if you sell your house and rent and claim HB imo. But then you would not be able to claim HB anyway because you'll have capital, won't you?

Original poster

yellowdianthus · 02/06/2012 10:21

i ran up debt because we could only afford a house that was needing alot done just to make it for living in. i wasnt having a good time - wish i was lol. thanks for those that have taken the time to reply - your replies are much appreciated x

OP posts:

Groovee · 02/06/2012 10:22

Benefits will give you more debt while you try to make ends meet.

You'd be best going to CAB for debt help.

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