To ask you to help me work out if my benefits will change?

[ClementineKelandra]

I know everything is changing and I'm really worried about what will happen to my benefits? I know there are probably things on line to help but I can never get my head around it.
I'm a single Mum and live in a coucil property. Every penny counts atm and I don't work.
Please can anybody help?

[TrampyPants]

oh jesus, they are all out tonight, aren't they?!

I take comfort from knowing that one day their vile views will bite 'em on the arse and they will crawl back under a bridge rock and allow their bitterness and bile take them.

We live in scary times.

Olivia, good to see you back!!!

[katykuns]

I second the idea to use the turn2us benefit calculator, it has really helped me to work out what is best for us in our situation.

I am working, but in receipt of a lot of benefit, due to how craply paid it is.
The council tax benefit reduction is worth checking out with your local council as it is being altered differently dependent on location.

Pretty sure the social fund loan has been abolished too, but you can get vouchers for the food bank instead.

I am struggling through, but worrying about the change to universal credit :(

[jacks365]

Once uc is rolled out unless there are changes to your circumstances then you will get the same amount. If council tax benefit is changing you will already have been notified, my area made a guarantee that lone parents would not be affected. UC will be rolled out slowly and if no changes to your situation will most likely come into effect late 2015. There has been a lot of scaremongering and confusion about a few changes which people haven't understood properly for example the tax credits disregard, these have just hit some people resulting in major reductions but that won't affect you.

[Darkesteyes]

The article in Woman magazine this week has probably helped to stoke some of the vitriol and incite some hatred.

[Darkesteyes]

www.womanmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/W17.jpg

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

You are probably right Darkesteyes. Some people are so short sighted and guillable.

[Darkesteyes]

If you look inside the mag (which i did while i was out yesterday. i refuse to buy it for the same reason that i refuse to buy the Daily Mail) she is on ESA because she is too ill to work.
Like the Daily Mails "Vile Product of Welfare UK" cover a few weeks back just seeing the cover will be enough to stoke the vitriol and incite hatred in some idiots.
And the irony of them printing this story in the same week that we have buried Thatcher is not lost on me.
We all know about her Governments attitude to single mothers back in the 80s. Coincidence? I think not.

[queencat]

I am quite ashamed to admit that over 3 years ago, I had the same attitude. Then one day without warning my partner upped and left me with three children to look after and provide for. I was working then a job that fitted in with him and allowed us not to have to pay childcare as we juggled working patterns. I went from having my own home to being practically destitute. If it hasn't been for the benefits system then quite frankly I have no idea what we would have done. I didn't ask to be a single mum, I certainly didn't have my children with pound signs in my eyes at the time.
I now have a better job but I still have to claim benefits otherwise we would not be able to survive. I pay tax and have worked every day since the age of 16, so now at this moment I am receiving what I am entitled too. If I could afford to raise 3 children on my own then I wouldn't claim benefits.
Please ignore hateful comments as other people have said. If you needed it, there would be help there for you. Just hope you don't need it.

[IneedAsockamnesty]

As others have said its likely that the only thing changing is your CT but you should have recived a letter about that already.

Most areas for families in your situation are charging between £2.50 and £10 pw.

Oh and ignore some of the posts unfortunatly you made the classic mistake of using the word benefit in your thread title, that tends to attract pisspoor excuses for human beings.

[Darkesteyes]

Yep wannabedomestic They are. Just been to the Woman fb page and there is a woman on there comparing the woman in that article in the mag ive linked above to the Philpotts.

[Darkesteyes]

Even someone i used to talk to on Carers Uk boards is on there having bought into the propaganda.

[RhondaJean]

Can someone tell me about the woman article please?

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

I think she was on This Morning.

Its on the front page, a photo of her with "£70000 benefit mum." then the line "On this money why should I work?"

[RhondaJean]

Ah right.

The one where they counted in the support her adult children get to complete their education so that in future they can hopefully have a better paid job and in turn pay more in the way of taxes as part of her personal income?

The very ill woman who has recently been through cancer treatment?

Is that the one?

There must be some very bitter and unhappy with their own lives people out there who obviously lack the compassion and intelligence to read the truth from a piece of sensationalist pulp journalism eh.

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

Yes, thats the one.

I do wonder why people swallow all they are told. Perhaps being skeptical is a rare thing.