to be worried about Universal Credit

[idiuntno57]

I am in the lucky position of not needing to claim this but I am so worried about its implementation.

Its coming in in the Autumn and is going to be an online only, monthly, postdated payment. It will be paid to one adult in the family unit.

All well and did if you are god at managing your money, internet literate and in a stable relationship. But in the real world....

How are the most vulnerable in society going to have a chance with this?

Already the council tax changes are coming in and as far as I understand people are confused and shell shocked by it. UC is much bigger and no one is prepared.

But it's pointless to be so nasty. It's wasted effort. It's not nice to see, so just leave her alone now, please.

If you think being nasty (and incredibly rude - really, asking where the father is????) gives you credibility you go right ahead Annabel....

I don't think she was boasting about her happy scrounging, either. She's worried as well....we all are, for one reason or another.

I have no patience for the smugs and would prefer to swap tips on how to cope with the coming austerity while there is still time to learn how to fish iykwim.

I don't actually want any of the smugs to have to have to experience a quarter of what I've seen going on around me. For a start the shock means their mental health would be guaranteed to go, (and those with mental health issues are being royally screwed over already). Their kids would suffer, and actually I want to see all kids get a fair crack at the whip of life.

This link is quite old, but should still enable people to feed a family of four for a month on approx £125 given recent price rises www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/
It's full of useful tips, such as replacing some of your wheat flour for ready brek in your pastry if you can't afford meat & dairy (ensure your kids still get a nutrionally balanced diet). I like meal planning as a way of managing my money, so was attracted to this site a few years back.

This book contains meal plans/shopping lists for those who are new to scratch cooking, so is a good starting point for anyone just starting out in their first place etc www.amazon.com/Budget-Meals-Kimberly-Saunders/dp/1904566758 It's 8 weeks worth of meal plans for a family of four on a budget.

approvedfood.co.uk is a good site for those in rural areas,or poor mobility to buy cheap close to BB date tins/pasta & other storable staples etc. (check the box to purchase in date foods).

A trip to the £1 shop to buy a window box, a bag of compost and a bag of spinach seeds will set you back all of three quid, yet managed carefully should supply a seasons worth of fresh spinach (high iron & calcium content for growing kids). This is a fraction of what bagged salad would cost in the shops and eating it as cut and grow will ensure it's at it's freshest and tastiest . (Sadly us paupers often don't have access to a garden for much grow your own produce, the waiting list for my local allottments is only a decade)

Ok Annabel. So when ( in your opinion) Ms Feckless comes in to claim JSA we should ask her to cast her mind back to when she got up duffed and deny her benefits because she chose to keep her baby?
What about the child, should it starve because its mother brought it into the world when the govt provided assistance?
And if this were the case, and we could deny benefits on that basis, how quickly do you think it would take for claimants to cite contraception failure? Or they had a partner who worked, or they had shares in a dotcom enterprise that went bust, etc etc
Not so fucking simple is it?

I think if you're on a low income and/or not used to being paid monthly it's actually a big ask to change to that. A month is a long time to go without for any that spent heavily when they received funds.
Also think money going to one person in family is asking for trouble, who decides who that will be ? If it goes to the man (due to pressure from him ?) many women could be worse off and have less independence than currently, and children could suffer hardship too.

Anabel I am not saying I agree with the choice she has made just that you could have made your point without being horrible.Also you don't know all her circumstances maybe she is in her early forties worried about her fertility and fully intends to get a job once baby is born.

Just leave it now, Annabel, really. You've contributed nothing but bile so far.
Look at Bochead's post up above yours....this is what we want...plans for the future and how to get by, so come on, join in.

I dont know much about this as we dont get tax credits, housing.

but if husband were to lose his job we be entitled to these things we private rent which is high, have 3kids and no chance social housing.
we also have loan,credit cards we paying off.

Anyone can fall on hard times and welfare state there a safety net.

I like what mini saying about preparing for when things go crap.

we on tight budget and

we shop around

between aldis, farmfoods, lilds, poundshops to try keep costs down.

we go supermarket in evening at reduction time and buy reduced bread , meat and other stuff and freeze.

On week before payday we skint and a well stocked storecupboard and bit of bulk buying can be life saver when times are bad.

some cloth nappies for when run out and cant afford nappies.

I make sure my medicine. cupboard is well stocked
i have yeast, plain flour, self raising and baking powder

so i can make bread or cakes

I try ensure we have

some fruit
Kids love tinned and dried fruit
porridge but mosly make flapjacks with it
rice, pasta, lentils, passatta, tinned tomaties, oil, value herbs
potatoes.

I try batch cook and freeze.
I buy school uniform 2nd hand carboots, ebay and our school pta sells 2nd hand stuff so brought 5jumpers for £12.

I try buy most of kids clothes would say 90%2nd hand.

Another thing I find is im rubbish at saving i do try but then bill comes up and its spent.

so ideas that work for me i savings stamps or cards 1-2quid a week.
overbuying nappies, food and wipes when on offer.

i start birthdays around 2-3months before buying couple bits per month.

Xmas for me is best started in august.

last few years I made lots homemade pressies.

Been reading blog a girl called jack where she feeds herself and her boy on 10quid a week as thats all thats left. its been really inspiring and made me think where I could trim costs.

I think in life there are things we can control.
especially politics feel some awful decisions been made.

hubby gets paid monthly always has and yes its hard that last week putting £4 petrol in.

I think some people learn to budget but then i think well having big amount means people can buy in bulk and save and perhaps buy an appliance not have to go down brighthouse and pay extortionate amount over next 10years.

Im not sure about online aspect though. what about low income oaps and pension credits will they get universil online.
My mums in her 50s and cant use a computer.

hopefully they implement it properly.

Or maybe Harry Potter will lend us the house selector gadget.
Feckless go to Fuckallindor. The worthy to Quidsarein.
Because you would need a mystical omnipotent being in order to accurately define fecklessness.

Fab post Boc

Ok minouminou.

Meal planning is fantastic, I've always done it. Frozen veg, you can use a handful and no waste, also lentils and cheap tinned toms.

One problem for people in deprived areas is travelling to cheap supermarkets like Aldi, so maybe a group of families could club together and take it in turns to get a taxi to the nearest branch - one family one week, another the next, so this will share the taxi fare out.
The family doing the shopping takes orders for the others, as well as getting his or her own shop in....will work out cheaper than bloody local corner shops. You could bulk buy some items.

Iv' eseen a couple of people having the impression that people are gtting pregnant on purpose to claim benefits - and I'm sure that does happen. But, is the benefits system actually encouraging this behaviour....

This article may suggest actually, not...

(Caveat, I have no idea what the benefits system was like in 1969 compared to today)

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17190185

agirlcalledjack.com/category/10-a-week-food-shop-recipes/

fab recipes here

mse forums wealth of info

credit crunch forum on mumsnet.

I know it sounds quite posh but

abel and cole £10min order and 99p delivery they bit like mini supermarket could get the basics.

School shoes from Sportsdirect - £6.50 a pair and last just as well as Clarks according to my friend so am gonna try them.

Aldi for bulk buying washing powder. Don't buy softener buy white vinegar and water down as a cleaner in kitchen and in softener drawer.

Stars I think it depends on what local authority you live in I know the amount you get varies by authority. That was ridiculous that you only got two, did they think your child would never grow! In any case the grant would just about cover a pair decent winter coat nothing else.

bochead

these tips are great. i have decided to start posting some links and recipes on my FB wall so that anyone who might be struggling could see it (without having to let anyone know they are struggling as that can be a big issue for some people) and be helped. sometimes we cant see solutions when we are so desperate but if it appeared before us it might help some see that they have options to try and squeeze a bit more out of their money.

I used to find that I'd get INCREDIBLE deals after around 6.30 in a Thursday night in Tescos (bloody hate Tescos..they most certainly should not be benefitting from a scheme that basically puts JSA people into six week cycles of stocking shelves with almost no promise of a meaningful job at the end of it - Tescos is getting rich off tax payer's money...) but I digress....seriously amazing deals I used to get like 2 chicken breasts for 75p....I'd get there around 6 and just hang around...worth a shot ladies who are in dire straits....

Personally I welcome the monthly pay. Managing the money coming in when its in 4 seperate payments is a headache. We cannot wait for DP to get a job.

But, I am not so selfish as to realise that there are a lot of people who, for whatever reason, wont be able to manage this.

Recently DP got told by the money advice service that we should have an "emergency fund." Oh how I laughed. We keep £100 per month to have as a fall back. But then the car got two flat tyres and DD2 took a growth spurt a month before we had planned to buy new clothes.

People in work have all the same struggles. I know that. Even more reason why those on this thread who are ok right now, and looking down their noses, should be crying out for the govt to do something about housing costs, lack of jobs, and the too low NMW.

But instead you choose to have a go at people who are just trying to get by.

Mam29 dont forget if you get letters with stamps on that havent been marked steam them off and use again my mum has does this for years my sister and myself would get a share too

I wonder whether people suffer from a lack of empathy or whether they are just thick cunts. That's what I wonder.